Posts Tagged: pain

Zen Me

August 28th, 2012
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Zen Garden Number One
“I wait for time to heal the pain and
 raise me to my feet once again —
so that I can start a new path,
my own path,
the one that will make me whole again.”
                                                      ~ Jack Canfield, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul II
Zen Garden Number Two
… Read More

The Fear of Tears

May 24th, 2012
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Earlier this week, my son and I were reminiscing about our journey through the college and high school years that occurred immediately after his father’s/my husband’s death and in the midst of talking we started laughing about a period of time that was quite painful and confusing for us. What’s up with that? It surprised us that this happened and I thought I would share this experience with my wonderful readers because it might help someone to know that there is always hope and that things can turn themselves around when you least expect it.  If our conversation helps someone… Read More

Walking & Wandering

March 6th, 2012
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I was walking downtown the other day and started to think about what it would be like if I ran into my husband.  I know, I know.  There is no way that I am going to suddenly see my husband casually walking down K street or any other street near my office or my home but this is how your mind works sometimes after someone you love very much has died whether it’s a spouse, a parent, a child or a friend. Granted, my husband died eight years ago but sometimes when I’m walking my mind wanders and one thought… Read More

#beerbottles

January 14th, 2012
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I’m at the cemetery recently picking up the weatherbeaten Christmas wreath I placed on my husband’s marker weeks ago and I spy four empty Heinekein bottles lying in a puddle of water on a nearby marker. My, my…What do we have here? I’d like to think it was someone’s birthday and four friends or relatives came to celebrate, sing and raise one for their family member or friend. Or maybe one person came and had a good time drinking four beers while talking and singing to their loved one. Either way the empty beer bottles don’t bother me at all.  … Read More

Step By Baby Step

November 7th, 2011
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When life deals you a blow, your first reaction is to withdraw and protect yourself.  You want to crawl under the covers, lock the doors and wait for the bad stuff to go away. But guess what?  In the long run, that doesn’t work.  Denial usually makes a situation a whole helluva lot worse. There are lots of theories about why things get worse when they are ignored, but I think it happens because when you don’t pay attention to your thoughts and feelings they build up like a pressure cooker and at some point, that ole pot is going… Read More

Workshop For Grieving Teens — Friday, Nov. 14

November 3rd, 2011
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One in nine Americans has experienced the death of a parent before the age of 20, according to the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing in Washington, DC. The first time I read that statistic, it made me pause.  I thought about what that number meant; the human consequences of one in nine. That’s a lot of children having their households turned upside down at a time when they need lots of love and stability.  Being a teenager is tumultuous enough.  Imagine the range of conflicting emotions the death of a parent, relative or close friend brings to them.  It’s… Read More

Healing Help

October 17th, 2011
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  Photo credit: Samantha Kira Harding   When you are in a place where you are searching to rebuild your life after the loss of a loved one and trying to find “a new normal” for yourself and your children, recognizing, addressing and expressing the strong emotions associated with grief can be helpful in getting you to a heal place. Moving forward takes time.  Unfortunately, there is no set schedule for when you are considered to be officially “healed.”  It would be comforting to be able to predict exactly how long it will take for you to deal with your… Read More

Sharing Your Personal Stories

July 29th, 2011
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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

Connecting The Grief Dots

May 7th, 2011
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Grief is a lot of work.  I know that sounds ridiculous but it’s true. And some days I just don’t want to deal with it.  Or be reminded of it. Those days would especially include when I have to fill out a government or school form for my son or myself and instead of writing his father’s name, I have to write in “deceased.”  That hurts. Or I get to pick from the selections of my status: single, married, divorced or widowed.  After eight years, you would think I would be used to answering these questions but it still pulls… Read More