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:

‘Reply All’: Celebrating Mother’s Day on Email

This Mother’s Day, I’m thinking about not only my mom, Beazy, but also about my one-in-a-million grand mom, Nana! Both will be celebrating the day in Heaven. I hope — since we know there will be no sadness, carb-counting or keto-craziness in heaven — they will celebrate the day with one of Nana’s killer six-layer chocolate cakes! Is that cake making your mouth water right now, too? One of my family’s favorite traditions is to stir up an email conversation among the whole family on special days. On Mother’s Day, for example, Cousin Drew might start the day with a […]

On Your First Father’s Day Without Dad

This year might be your first Father’s Day since losing your dad. Father’s Day can be tough when a piece of your heart’s puzzle is missing. Here are three tips I hope might help. Say What You Need to Say As the weather starts to sizzle, you may be tempted to turn the AC to full blast and settle in for a little summer hibernation. While time alone is important, it’s easy to slip from healthy alone time to full-on isolation. After losing my mom, and then my dad a few short years later, my comfy safe place definitely became home, […]

Feelin’ Groovy: Connecting with Mom’s Legacy on Mother’s Day

Ever had a song, a fragrance or box of cereal stir you to tears? It’s been 19 years since my mom’s sudden graduation to heaven. So, how could Mother’s Day week and a song be the catalyst for tears in my grilled chicken tenderloin salad? Sounds like a country music song. This week a classic Simon and Garfunkel tune came to mind, and took me right back to my mom’s living room, playing her rustic upright piano. It was “59th Street Bridge Song” better know as “Feelin’ Groovy.” If you were born after 1970, Google it. This whimsical melody will […]

Is it Still OK to Cry?

It was Mother’s Day weekend, and life was especially good. With our kids scattered across the country, the idea of traveling to Colorado to spend a couple days with our daughter, Amy, seemed like the perfect way to celebrate. I stopped in an airport restaurant for breakfast and crossed paths with one of the friendliest waiters I’ve ever met. Lamar obviously loves people and loves his work. As he delivered my coffee and spinach omelet, we started to talk about Mother’s Day. Lamar’s face lit up as he described his amazing mom. He referred to himself unashamedly as a “mama’s […]

When the Happy Season is not Happy

What do you do when the happiest season of all doesn’t seem happy at all? Whether it’s a scary medical diagnosis, the loss of a relationship, or death of someone you love, a traumatic season of life can make the holidays feel overwhelming. Decorating, shopping, and house guests might be more than you can handle this year. Before you decide to pull the covers over your head and wake up in January or start your day with eggnog—stop! You are not alone. 3 Steps To Survive The Holidays Without Losing Your Mind 1. Say what you need to say. It’s a […]

Surviving Grief without Losing Your Mind

Losing someone you love is like having part of your heart ripped out. Whether death came through sudden catastrophe or a drawn-out disease where there was time to prepare, grief often leaves us with more questions than answers. •What do I do with all the regrets? •Why do people say crazy things when they’re trying to help? •Shouldn’t I be able to power through the sorrow on my own? Grief is a process and there are three challenges almost everyone goes through: 1. Rehashing regrets is like riding a stationary bicycle. You’ll go round and round to the point of […]

Grief After Suicide is Particularly Complicated

One person dies by suicide every 13.7 minutes in the United States, according to the American Suicide Prevention Foundation. You never think your family will become part of such a heartbreaking statistic. From the outside, my uncle’s life seemed perfect — lots of friends, a terrific job and a family who adored him. My mom’s fun-loving, talented brother had everything to live for. How could he have taken his own life? Mental illness was not a subject anyone discussed back then. People were expected to be OK or at least pretend they were. As family members tried to make sense […]

Getting Help During Bereavement

“Call if you need anything!“ How many times have you heard those five familiar words after a crisis or loss of a loved one? Friends want to reach out to you, but aren’t sure exactly what you need. And, if you’re trying to find your equilibrium after a traumatic event, it might be more than you can handle just to make the call for help. Think about this insightful idea. At a grief seminar, the question came up, ”What do you do with all the people who say, ‘call if you need anything?’ “ A woman in the audience raised her […]

Hanging On Through the Holidays

The music, smell of gingerbread, and shimmering lights usually stir up warm holiday memories, but this year something is missing. Actually someone is missing, and the holiday cheer seems to be making things worse. My most intense journey of grief came suddenly, beginning weeks before the holidays with the death of my mom. “Beazy” was more than a mom; she was my best friend. The thought of Christmas without her was impossible to imagine. If you’ve lost someone close this year, you may understand. Maybe you’re wondering how you’ll be able to hang on through the holidays. If you’re tempted […]

Getting Through What You’re Going Through: Pastor Rick Warren Models

Life at Saddleback Church rarely slows down for Pastor Rick Warren and his wife Kay. After four glorious days of Easter services, a typically busy week of ministry began. Christianity Today was scheduled to run an article highlighting Warren’s upcoming book, The Peace Plan. His goal is to reach people all over the world with translations in multiple languages. Five days after Easter, the Warrens’ world changed forever. After several unsuccessful attempts to contact one of their sons, Rick and Kay had a strange sense something wasn’t right. Their twenty-seven year old son, Matthew, had battled depression for most of […]

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