Naomi Cole of Wayne, Mich., can still close her eyes and hear her mother’s reaction the moment her parents were notified that her brother had been killed. He was the same brother who returned after being …

When my sister was murdered in her home in September of 2009, my life changed forever. The questions that flood your mind in these circumstances are unbearable. Not knowing who murdered my sister was all-consuming.
Every …

As told by Anthony J. Amoroso:
Heroes aren’t supposed to be ordinary.  Yet that’s what my brother was:  an ordinary guy living his life the best he knew.

If he was just an ordinary guy, what was …

Many people have suffered some kind of loss of a loved one through death.  Personally, I’ve lost both sets of grandparents, my father, two uncles and four aunts, not to mention family friends. 
 
But nothing prepared me …

I was coasting through life, pretty comfortably, when suddenly I experienced something no mother should have to go through. I came out on the other side only due to God’s amazing grace. I would not …

Around Memorial Day, many people go to the cemetery to spruce up their loved ones’ graves. They want visitors to see that they are nicely cared for. I don’t  have to do that because I know I …

Some say we don’t have anymore heroes, but I say we do.  Let’s take a look at what a hero is and decide if you are one. A hero travels the hero’s journey.  That’s when regular …

In 2004, I got a call that my best friend died.  Mark Jamison was a neon artist from Roanoke, Virginia, who was electrocuted after he was blown into a power line while hanging a neon sign. He was only …

Grief is multifaceted, and I’ve realised over the years that our society does not acknowledge many of its aspects. Along with profound grief the death of a loved one brings us, we all experience many …

In high school, I worked as a kitchen aide in a nearby rest home.  The home was a beautiful Victorian, formerly owned by a prominent business man.  Throughout renovations to accommodate the elderly, the façade …

Holidays and other special days are times that we miss our loved ones more acutely.  It is these family gatherings where everyone is joyful that make the void feel more enormous.  
After suffering through my first …

Last year was the first year my mother didn’t recognize me at all . . . not even a glimmer.  I’d been expecting Alzheimer’s to take away her ability to recognize my face, but wasn’t …

Each family’s holiday traditions are precious and, one hopes, the children and grandchildren will remember and continue them. But as we move on, and our lives change dramatically, our traditions must change too.
And, as …

I want to go home
And, have my parents
Shower me with kisses
Tender, but strong hugs
And, look into their eyes
Feeling safe, as their child.
I want to go home
And, sit with them
At their dinner table
And, enjoy my mother’s
Home …

“Whorl! Whorl! Whorl!” shrieked the house alarm, startling Laura from an already restless slumber. She sat straight up with her eyes wide, and looked around the dark room anxiously. Wishing for the umpteenth time that …

My mother and father’s pictures are everywhere in my home. Every morning when I awake – I see them and say “Good morning.” Throughout the day I talk with my mother and father. …