Ted Olson On Loss & Love

September 12th, 2011
Posted By:

There is no single path on the road to healing and resilience.

Different people take different steps, drawing on their own strengths and what works best for them.

Here is one person’s chosen path….Perhaps you can draw strength from Ted Olson’s grief experience.

Ted Olson on loss and love

 in the decade since 9/11

By Roxanne Roberts and Amy Argetsinger
The Washington Post
9/12/11
Ted Olson in his office at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher last year. (Jahi Chikwendiu/ The Washington Post)
Ted Olson spent his 71st birthday Sunday at his family’s lakeside property in Northern Wisconsin. He was invited to … Read More

9/11 — Ten Years Later

September 11th, 2011
Posted By:

Photo by Newsday     Sadness…Awe…Gratitude…Grief.  All woven together, this is what I feel about 9/11, ten years later. Sadness and grief for the lives lost that awful day but gratitude and awe for the extraordinary memorial now in place at Ground Zero and the heroic efforts of fellow Americans who made it possible for survivors to talk about how they miraculously escaped the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Human strengths and human frailties live side by side today at Ground Zero in New York City, the Washington, DC Pentagon building and the field where Flight 93 crashed in… Read More

Pause & Remember

September 9th, 2011
Posted By:

Before the mantra was jobs, jobs, jobs, it was security, security, security. The security of our nation, the security of our borders, the security of our everyday lives was at the top of the nation’s agenda.  No one could do enough to make America safe and secure.  And we were willing to do whatever it took to make it happen: reduced civil liberties, metal detectors and wands, pat downs, no shoes.A decade later, 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden is finally dead as are some of his top operatives. But how safe are we? When the 10th anniversary of 9/11 arrives… Read More

Reluctantly Falling Into Fall

September 2nd, 2011
Posted By:

Early this morning I opened the front door to get the newspaper and felt a chill in the air that can mean only one thing:  the seasons are starting to change and I don’t like it. Summer is my very, very favorite season of the year.  It is totally the best! I know, I know, I hear lots of you out there saying something garbled about the heat and humidity in DC, but I don’t care.  Summer is light clothing, fresh fruits and vegetables and long days.  Summer is bare feet, freshly cut grass and beach time.  My thinking about… Read More

School Days — Reminding Teachers About Loss

August 31st, 2011
Posted By:

School days are here again and the usual anxieties are filling children’s heads: a new year of learning, a new teacher, new friends or a new school.  Along with thoughts about wearing the right clothes, hanging out with the cool crowd, comes an additional layer of concerns for those children who are still dealing with a death in the family or perhaps one that may have occurred during the summer. This school year also brings the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and reminders of this event are all around us: television specials, national ceremonies and the opening of… Read More

One Hilarious Beach Memory

August 13th, 2011
Posted By:

Photo By Emily Noonan My son and I vacation at Bethany Beach, the same beach we have been enjoying since he was a toddler.  It’s also the same beach where I vacationed as a child.  This conjures up all sorts of memories for both of us and it gives my son a sense of stability.  We can’t imagine going anywhere else. The first time we vacationed in Bethany after my husband’s death, it was jarring, but we stayed positive and survived.  I had some meltdowns but they were in private.  More importantly, keeping up the vacation tradition gave us confidence… Read More

Sharing Your Personal Stories

July 29th, 2011
Posted By:

Hi Everyone!!! Cry, Laugh, Heal is a place where all are welcome, where the sad, silly and satisfying aspects of grief and resilience are explored.  Everyone is welcome to join in and share their experiences about loss and trying to get back into the groove of living life.  We learn from each other plus you never know when your story may help someone else struggling with their grief feelings. When we share our thoughts and feelings with others, we find we are not alone. It may feel as though it is only happening to you, but then when you reach… Read More

Amy Winehouse

July 25th, 2011
Posted By:

Amy Winehouse was with us for only 27 years.  But in that short time her artistic flame burned hot and bright even as she continually battled for control over her addiction to drugs and alcohol. Artistically she broke new ground, writing and recording bluesy, hard-rocking songs addressing heartbreak and her self-destructive lifestyle.  Yet for her family and millions of fans, there was always the hope that she would turn things around and bring her demons under control. Very sadly, that was not to be and we are left with the gift of her incredible music.  One of my favorites from… Read More

Harry Potter & His Parents

July 22nd, 2011
Posted By:

Hi readers!  Today we have a guest blogger, Ryan O’Toole, a rising senior at Fordham University, and in the interest of full disclosure, my son: Isn’t it funny that there are words for people whose spouses die?  A woman whose husband dies is called a widow, while a man whose wife dies is called a widower. Now the sheer existence of these words might not seem odd to you at face value, but doesn’t it strike you as a weird oversight of the English language that we do not have words for children who lose a parent?  I have thought… Read More