Sometimes remembering comes at a cost. Since my husband died, remembering is the hardest thing for me. Most days, I can go about my business and not think that this is my real life. Some …

I have used many analogies and metaphors to describe my grief journey in the seven years since my daughter Jeannine died.  During my early grief, I frequently described feeling ,on a good day, like I …

Taking time to put your situation to the side and to focus on somebody else is a powerful way to get back in touch with who you are and what you can give. When you …

“I feel so lost.”
How many times have we felt that way?  How many times have we heard that from other grievers?  How many times have we just wanted to pull on a t-shirt that says …

Have you ever thought about what life would be like if your child had not died? I have, I do, I almost live every minute thinking of my son. I’m sure most parents who have …

More than three years have passed since four family members died. The shock of multiple losses — my elder daughter, father-in-law, brother, and former son-in-law — brought me to my knees. The deaths occurred successively, …

I am presenting a workshop at The Compassionate Friends national conference next month entilted: “The Bereaved Parent- Five Years Later.”  Linda Findlay of Mourning Discoveries and I originally developed the idea for this workshop to …

A few weeks ago, it was my father’s birthday.  Although he died 38 years ago, his memory is always in my heart. And it is in these days — anniversaries, birthdays, Father’s Day – that his …

The dogs were barking strangely one early morning in July of 1970; I was 15 years old. I knew someone had probably driven up our driveway and was taking their time to come to the …

After any significant loss, we feel empty, lost, and engulfed with indescribable pain. One grueling process in grief work is connecting our feelings and state of being with words. However, once we get passed this …

The death of a loved one changes you forever. You mourn, determine your grief work, do the work, and try to build a new life. At least, these are the things I had to do …

Recently, I started dating. This major event in my life has brought up questions about my mother and father. What would they think of this man? Would my father be protective?  Would my mother tell me …

In her new book, “Just Who Will You Be?” Maria Shriver discusses life purpose and planning.  “Ask yourself, ‘Who do I want to be?’  It’s the most important question of your life,” she writes. 
Her question …

On my journey through grief, after losing my 16-year-old son in an auto accident, I have come to fully understand one fact: the waves of hopelessness and despair are never too far away. The waves …

I grew up in a typical blue collar Midwest City where working hard and playing hard was a way of life.  Men were expected to toughen up when times got rough and plow through them.  …

January 22, 1979 – October 1, 2000.  As bereaved parents we look at those dates often because they represent our child.  Thinking about this Mother’s Day, I recognize how the meaning of those dates has changed …