There are days and times and moments in between the larger slices of my life I find myself in the missing place.  I have made incredible strides recreating myself after the death of my husband …

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 …

This life is so temporary. We don’t seem to get that most times. Over the last months, it has become so clear to me that we are not meant for this earth forever. We are …

Respondent
Laura Slap-Shelton was widowed at the age of 35 in 1991. Her first husband died suddenly leaving her with their 13 month old daughter. Being a psychologist, Laura assumed after the first week of her …

June was graduation month for most American high schools.  Our twin grandchildren graduated then, and my husband and I attended the ceremony.  It was an emotional experience because we are GRGs, grandparents raising grandchildren.  We …

One can never be sure what to expect of Marathon Sunday’s weather in New York City. Reflecting back on that Sunday, November 5, 2006, for spectators, the temperature was seasonably brisk. But for runners, like …

I love the song “Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. I used to have it as a ringtone on my cell phone. I took it off my phone in 2008 when my son, Lucas, passed away. …

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 …

On the first anniversary of our daughter’s death, my husband and I held a graveside service in her memory. It was a brief service because the February temperature hovered around zero and the wind chill …

“It was time to dig up the thin maple that died last fall and, like Daniel, did not bloom in the spring.”
It was time. In an hour the November afternoon would be dark. With Baby …

Ahhh…dating.  Sooner or later this becomes every widow’s favorite topic with other widows.  And there is a very good reason for this:  Because we feel like it’s unacceptable to talk about it outside of the …

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 …

My son recently asked me the question I have been WAITING for one of my children to ask for years.
“Mom…how come you get a Mother’s Day and we don’t get a day?”
Haven’t you been waiting …

Ever since my daughter died from the injuries she received in a car crash in 2007, I’ve become more aware of the sacred moments in my life.  Before she died I thought I was aware …

Child-loss is so very devastating. In the beginning, you can find little or no joy. But after several months, I was able to feel some comfort. So I tried to zero in on that and do things …

How does someone pick up the pieces after losing a spouse and child in a tragic car accident that involved their whole family?  Sheri Boekweg-Nelson of Plain City, Utah, and her two kids survived this …