The Grief Buzz

August 6th, 2014
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What’s the Buzz?

Tara Reid tells us what she learned from talk radio.  4 LGBT refugees discuss why they came to the US.  Find out which “Friends” character should be your roommate.

It’s Buzzfeed where the hottest, most social content on the web lives 24/7.  You know.  All the stuff you want to pass along to your friends. IMMEDIATELY.  To me, Buzzfeed is also a website where you find funny pictures of cats and dogs and read ALL about the latest wacky trends developing in pop culture.

And to get right to it, Buzzfeed’s stories or lists are totally about … Read More

Independent Behavior

July 4th, 2014
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Happy Fourth of July! Today I will be spending the day with friends I have known for decades; really great, tried and true friends.  There will be a cookout along with patriotic music, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, fireworks and best of all, relaxation. This 4th of July party is an annual event and one that I and the rest of my friends look forward to attending every year, rain or shine. ( http://crylaughheal.com/independence-day ) There are only a few times I purposely missed attending this party.  For two summers in a row, after my husband’s death, I… Read More

Final Resting

June 30th, 2014
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When my husband died, (No matter how much times goes by, I still feel strange typing those awful words), our family felt comfortable choosing a traditional way of saying good-bye to him and paying our final respects: he was laid to rest in a beautiful coffin and we held a lively wake and Catholic Mass so that everyone could gather and share their precious memories of his short time with us. At that blurry point, our son and I were in the most vulnerable condition of our lives and so was everyone else who loved and adored him.  He was… Read More

Daddy’s Way

June 15th, 2014
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I wonder what our lives would be like today if he were still alive? This question keeps rolling over in my mind as I stand in a stationary store, browsing through the Father’s Day cards, trying to find a card to give my wonderful 87-year-old Dad but also thinking of the emptiness of the day for my son whose father died when he was thirteen years old. Of course there is no way to know what life would be like if my husband, my son’s father, was still alive and with us, but that doesn’t stop my meandering mind from… Read More

Great Personal Expectations

June 11th, 2014
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When I am feeling vulnerable from making a mistake or stressed out from a work project or just plain personally overloaded by my life, I try to find something that will feed my inner resources.  Something that will feed my soul. If something goes wrong or becomes overwhelming or things in general don’t feel as though they are in sync in a good way, then I know I need to find a sweet spot where I can take a break and treat myself to something positive.  Not anything big or expensive.  Just something that makes the clouds break and brings… Read More

I’m Still Here

June 9th, 2014
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I’m still here. These are words of determination and strength.  They come from facing up to a cold hard truth about a new reality that life has given us to handle.  It could be the loss of a loved one or an unexpected and tragic diagnosis, accident or attack.  The person saying these words  is often trying to tell you that they are still searching or have found a new way to live through the pain and suffering of this change in their life. I’m still here. I used these words many times after my husband died.  For me they… Read More

A Lost Graduation

June 5th, 2014
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We all have sat through graduation ceremonies that we thought would never end. The reading of the names of the graduates seems to go on and on and I usually zone out until I hear the name of the person that I care about.  Then I suddenly pay attention, take a few pictures and clap and yell for the graduate I know. But as mundane and routine as a graduation ceremony can sometimes be, think about the families behind each one of those names and the hours of work and the years of love and constructive support that went into… Read More

Dr. Maya Angelou

May 29th, 2014
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  “Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told, ‘I’m with you, kid.  Let’s go.'”                                                                    ~ Dr. Maya Angelou   Let’s go indeed!  Did Dr. Maya Angelou take every opportunity to grab life by the lapels? You bet she did! Every day she grabbed life by the lapels and the seat pants and she held on for dear life, inspiring and showing us through her writings, speeches and screen presence the true passions of her life: civil rights, being kind, education and striving to do the best in whatever you are doing. Resilience, beauty and grace; thy name… Read More

Angry Grief Is Not Pretty

May 28th, 2014
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Angry grief is not pretty; especially the white hot, messy anger that Richard Martinez is feeling. Uncomfortable as it is to watch, everything Martinez is feeling is normal and human.  He is expressing the rage and the sorrow he feels right now at the tragic loss 0f his son.  We aren’t used to watching someone freely express their unfiltered, raw anger about the loss of a loved one.  Our culture sends us the message that it’s better to keep a lid on it.  Don’t emote all over the place. Yet Martinez has experienced a shock, a deep loss that is… Read More