Beth Marshall

Beth Marshall is a freelance journalist, speaker and author of two grief-related books. Grief Survivor, 28 Steps toward Hope and Healing; and A Time to Heal, a grief journal. After losing three close people in her life, Beth felt crushed and overwhelmed by the intense emotions of grief. As she began to write about her "uniquely awesome" family members, Marshall eventually began to smile again- and even laugh. Her hope is to help others discover joy-filled life after loss.

Articles:

Are You Making Progress in Your Grief?

So how do you know if you’re making progress on this messy journey called grief? I remember going through seasons where a trigger would wipe me out or tears would come from out of nowhere. I’d wonder if it was always going to be this way. I’m happy to tell you, thankfully, it won’t always be this way. Are you making progress in your grief? Here are a few glimmers of healing you might be noticing now: Sadness and sorrow are not the first thoughts on your mind in the morning. Rather than sprinting away from a friend who’s experiencing […]

Don’t Shield Your Children from Grief

In our predominantly fun childhood, the one thing kids were never allowed to do was to participate in the funeral-related activities when someone passed away. Grief and sadness were simply not on the agenda. When someone died, my brothers, sisters, and I would keep playing kickball and jumping on the trampoline, while our parents did funeral things. After the service, we rarely talked about the person who had died. Even in the years that followed, we didn’t do much to remember our beloved family members who were now gone. As an adult, I learned quickly that shielding kids from sorrow […]

Questions You May Ask in Your Pain

During the intense period after the loss of my favorite people, many questions ran through my mind. These are questions you might ask in your pain. Will the tsunami of tears ever end? Why do some people seem to skate through sorrow while I feel isolated and stuck? If my brain is this foggy and I’m contemplating hibernating ’til springtime, am I going crazy? Or is this just what grief looks like? Where are the people who came around in the early days? Do they even care about me? Or about her? I wish I could have seen my mom’s […]

One Step at a Time: Through the ‘Dark Valley,’

After months of trying to outrun the ache and sprint toward some imaginary silver lining, I realized that running from the pain can leave you crushed, lonely, and confused. In that desperate season, the Lord gently revealed something I’d never known: The only lasting way to the other side of shattering heartbreak is right through the dark valley, one step at a time. I wish someone had told me the deep sorrow, confusion, and grief-related anxiety would not last forever! Wherever you are on your journey, will you imagine a few possible scenarios with me? What if the pain won’t […]

‘What Do You Do with All this Pain?’

Have you ever gotten news that literally took your breath away? I surely have. It was the late-night call that my mom—my healthy, hilarious, newlywed mom—was gone. Nobody could have imagined her happily-ever-after ending so quickly. As weeks marched by, the shock wore off and I was left wondering, what do you do with all this pain? If you’ve ever lost someone you love—whether there was time to prepare, or their death came with no time to brace—you probably realize grief is one of the hardest things we ever face. That’s why I wrote Uncrushed. My hope is that my […]

Writing Helps Bereaved Find Gratitude

Writing Helps Bereaved Whenever you set out to write a book, an important first step is clearly defining your audience. When I started dreaming about Uncrushed, I assumed it would be primarily to help people navigate the loss of a loved one. That was and still is a big part of the reason for my new book. But something unexpected happened as feedback came in from the Launch Team (35-40 amazing superheroes who read through the book before release day). The comment that surprised me most came from a dear friend who has, thankfully, never lost a super close person, […]

Memories are Gifts for Grievers

What could someone else do to help you as you begin your healing journey? In the beginning, you probably had plenty of food, volumes of cards and a house full of flowers, but what kind of gift would genuinely touch your heart? When you’ve loved and lost, memories are priceless treasures. What if there are stories about your loved one that you’ve never heard? The next time a trusted friend asks what they can do to help, ask them to write a favorite memory and send it to you via mail or email. Can you imagine going to your computer […]

‘Are We There Yet?’ and Other Grief Questions

If you took road trips as a child, you probably remember the question parents forever answered: “Are we there yet?” As you begin to regain your equilibrium after loss, you may wonder: How long does grief take? As long as it takes. Each person has a unique timeline and way of coping with loss. Will I always miss my loved one? Probably so. But, hopefully over time the deep ache will become more bearable, and memories of the person you’re missing will be gentle reminders of the impact they made in your life. It’s OK to always miss them. Why […]

Communicating Your Needs When Grieving

“Call if you need anything.” You may have heard this well-intended offer, but chances are you never called back. Here’s a straightforward way to communicate your needs when grieving. As you think of something you’d appreciate help with, write it on a list, and post it on the fridge. Your list might include: watching the kids for a couple hours raking the leaves technical assistance driving carpool setting up auto pay for bills Whenever something comes to mind, add it to the list. The next time someone asks how they can help, snap a photo of your list, and send it […]

Writing When Life Hurts

After losing three close family members in five years, I remember feeling overwhelmed as waves of unanticipated emotions would roll in like a storm. How long would this intense sorrow last? Would life ever feel normal again? What if I forget about the people I’m missing? And why do well-intentioned people say crazy things when they’re trying to be helpful? I searched volumes of grief-related books, envisioning a clear, concise manual to lead me down the well-lit path to healing. As you might imagine, there was no such book available. Nothing on the market was touching the deep sadness in […]

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