Posts Tagged: grief

Moving Day

May 6th, 2013
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I received a couple of texts over the weekend from a friend who lives in another city about how he now lives in a new place.

I didn’t know he had moved from his home of almost 20 years so I was surprised by his news but I also knew that there was more to the story than just a regular heave-ho move from one place to another.

My friend lost his wife to cancer a number of years ago and she was a wonderful and talented person, but she also was the kind of person who kept everything.  She … Read More

That’s What Friends Are For

April 26th, 2013
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This is a beautiful and moving story about a husband and wife and their love and respect for one another. Sadly, the time recently arrived for one of them to say good-bye to the other. In the following column by The Washington Post’s Courtland Milloy, he writes of the spirit of the union between Washington Post reporter Lynne Duke and Washington Post editor Phillip Dixon in the essential phrase “sometimes yin and yang, sometimes nitro and glycerin.” Milloy is an awesome friend, doing what friends do best, offering emotional support and condolences to Phillip Dixon, and at the same time… Read More

Lean In To Laughter

April 25th, 2013
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One of my brothers has a wacky way of making a joke exactly when it’s needed. His timing and dry delivery are impeccable!  Just when the situation is starting to get either too serious or is totally out of hand, I can always depend on my brother to throw an exclamation point into the conversation.   It’s not an easy thing to do.  There’s a fine line between funny and unfunny and once you cross over into unfunny, it’s hard to undo and recover your mojo. I’ve delivered some whoppers that have crashed on delivery but I don’t try to… Read More

Surfing Emotions

April 24th, 2013
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Photo Courtesy of Secrets of The Sea Feelings are much like waves,   we can’t stop them from coming   but we can choose which ones to surf.   ~ Jonatan Martensson… Read More

Divorce v Death

April 16th, 2013
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I’m not sure why people compare getting divorced to losing a spouse. But they do. Hmmmmm.  One of these things is really not like the other. Yes, both situations are the end of something, but one is final and the other is not. Both situations are traumatic and force you to assess your life and eventually rebuild it in a new way. But the death of a loved one is final.  You will never see that person again. With divorce, you might feel like you never want to see that person again but they’re still alive. Lots of widows and… Read More

Tax Day

April 15th, 2013
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Today is dreaded Tax Day which means that people in the United States must file individual tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service. Not to worry for those who aren’t prepared to file your taxes today.  The IRS allows you to file an extension which gives you until October 15 to file.  Thank goodness right?  There is more time if you need it! Taxes are confusing under even the most normal of circumstances.  According to CBS News, the U.S. tax code is more than 73,000 pages long. Just figuring out what to pay eats up an estimated 6.1 billion hours… Read More

Anderson Cooper & His Mom

April 8th, 2013
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I recently watched parts of  the Anderson Live! episodes that explored surviving loss and rebuilding your life in the aftermath.I found it touching and almost too private to watch Anderson Cooper and his mother talk about their personal reactions to the sudden loss of two very close loved ones from their lives.  I really wanted to know what they did to survive such shocking and tragic deaths but at the same time their thoughts were so candid that I almost wondered if they were aware that the cameras were rolling.It’s courageous and incredibly helpful for the greater good when celebrities… Read More

Seeking Support

March 28th, 2013
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Having spent almost two years going to group grief counseling sessions, I am a big believer in talking about the dicey life issues troubling you. Whether it’s grief, drug or alcohol addiction, weight issues or marriage problems, talking can help because you are taking your issues out of the dark and shining light on them for everyone to see.  You’re not hiding your issues and acting as though everything is okay and being handled well.The idea of being part of a support group can seem very intimidating. It was not an easy decision for me: in talking about my pain,… Read More

An Emotional Box

March 25th, 2013
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As I continue to slowly reorganize my freshly painted bedroom, it is amazing the things I find stored under my bed. Last week I wrote about my long put-off decision to finally paint and reorganize my bedroom following my husband’s death.  Now, as I pick and choose what I am bringing back into that room, I am dealing with some of the things that I pushed aside after his traumatic death and choose not to think about. In this instance, it is an old Estee Lauder box that once held cosmetics and perfume.  I loved the different colored berries pictured… Read More