Recently, I watched the Hallmark movie Navigating Christmas. Of course, there was the typical boy meets girl scenario. At first, they are at odds with one another, followed by falling in love, then they kiss and live happily ever after! I imagine you’ve all seen one (or fifty) of these. Oh, if only real life workedContinue reading “Navigating Christmas”
Tag Archives: #faith
Thanksgiving and the Empty Chair
As this week begins all I can think about is how many of us will miss our loved ones on Thanksgiving and the empty chair facing us. If you are among the many with an empty chair at the table this year, you are seen, heard, and understood here. Grief is a challenging journey onContinue reading “Thanksgiving and the Empty Chair”
Creating a Place for Love and Loss
How do we begin creating a place for love and loss when the loss is the most prominent thing we feel? When we experience the loss of a loved one, everything around us looks different. Our worlds are tilted, and we can’t seem to stand like we used to. All our minds can think aboutContinue reading “Creating a Place for Love and Loss”
Hearts Especially Hurt Over the Holidays
Here in the United States, we are just a few short weeks away from celebrating Thanksgiving. If you’re grieving, you may be feeling anything but thankful. This time of year is challenging as our hearts especially hurt over the holidays. As we make plans to get together with family, you may feel pressured to smileContinue reading “Hearts Especially Hurt Over the Holidays”
The Day When Death Will Be No More
A couple of weeks ago, I woke up in the wee hours of the morning with the following words in my heart: “How I long to breathe the air of heaven – where pain is gone, and mercy fills the streets.” They continued repeating until I finally sat up and wrote them down. When I got upContinue reading “The Day When Death Will Be No More”
Grief: Not Something to Rush Through
Have you noticed how the change of seasons impacts the heart? I’m not sure it has as much to do with the change of seasons as it does with the fact the change of seasons ushers in the holidays. It’s a time when all the world is “H-A-P-P-Y” and you may begin to feel forcedContinue reading “Grief: Not Something to Rush Through”
Change is the One Constant in Life
When a loss occurs, we feel its impact in every way. All that was once normal is no longer. Life as we knew it will never be the same again, and change is the one constant in life whether we like it or not. Since Melanie ran ahead to heaven, I find that I’m a lot moreContinue reading “Change is the One Constant in Life”
Protect Your Heart While You Grieve
It’s been a few years since I’ve written about self-care (Self Care or Selfish), but it remains an integral part in helping walk through the grief journey. Recently, I’ve been thinking that no matter how much time goes by, it’s still so important to protect your heart while you grieve. As the season changes fromContinue reading “Protect Your Heart While You Grieve”
Grievers are Survivors
When we think of those who are grieving, we tend to lean more toward the negative. After all, what do grief and loss bring? Intense sadness, anxiety, depression, fear, and even anger. But hold on. If we take a moment to look closely at a person who is walking the grief journey, I believe weContinue reading “Grievers are Survivors”
The Faithfulness of God During Hard Times
We often turn our anger toward God when we walk through grief and other challenging moments. When a loved one dies, it’s normal to question the faithfulness of God during hard times. After all, how could a good and faithful God have allowed this bad thing to happen to you and your family? If you’reContinue reading “The Faithfulness of God During Hard Times”
The Road from Grief to Peace and Acceptance
As I continue to meet others on this grief journey one of the most common questions I get is, “How long will grief last?” That seems to be the million-dollar question. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a definitive answer? Instead of being a one-size-fits-all, the road from grief to peace and acceptance differsContinue reading “The Road from Grief to Peace and Acceptance”
Elvis and My Dad
On Tuesday afternoon, August 16, 1977, I was walking down the street with my portable transistor radio listening to the latest disco music. Then all of a sudden, the newscaster broke through and announced that Elvis Presley had died. I can still clearly remember having an overwhelming feeling of sadness. I couldn’t believe that the KingContinue reading “Elvis and My Dad”
Loss, Trauma, and Catastrophizing
If you’ve been walking this grief journey for any length of time, you are well acquainted with grief. But are you familiar with catastrophizing? Loss, trauma, and catastrophizing frequently go hand-in-hand for many of us who have lost a loved one. Until recently, I had never heard the phrase used in this context, butContinue reading “Loss, Trauma, and Catastrophizing”
Lessons in Grief
During this time of year, many of us are sending our children back to school. Please tell me, where did the summer go? Time truly is moving by much too fast. I’m sitting here wondering how it is that we are sending our youngest off to his first year of high school tomorrow. Wasn’t itContinue reading “Lessons in Grief”
Carrying Our Bag of Sorrows
As we go through life, we carry many things with us – memories of our first loves, the day we got married, the births of our children, overall life experiences – both happy and sad. Inevitably, we also carry the hurts and losses – deaths of loved ones, broken relationships, job loss, wayward children. TheContinue reading “Carrying Our Bag of Sorrows”
The Emptiness of Grief
When I was growing up, if someone died, my mother would immediately head for the kitchen, where she would begin cooking a beautiful Italian meal of sauce, meatballs, and pasta. She’d then ask my father to drive her over to that person’s house so she could sit with them. Inevitably, when we arrived, the houseContinue reading “The Emptiness of Grief”
The Battle for Quiet Time
The older I get, time seems to be more elusive. The battle for quiet time has become my opponent. While walking this grief journey, there are times when every moment seems like a battle. So, what have the best Generals in the Army done when they are in a fight? They create a plan toContinue reading “The Battle for Quiet Time”
Bereaved Parents Awareness Month
Every year the month of July is designated as Bereaved Parents Awareness Month. There was a time in my life when I never knew such a thing existed. However, now, as a parent who has a child who ran ahead to heaven, I’m all too painfully aware. At first, I wondered why we needed aContinue reading “Bereaved Parents Awareness Month”
Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop
Without realizing it, it occurred to me that I have often lived my life waiting for the other shoe to drop. It doesn’t take a session being psychoanalyzed to know this comes from the fact that both my father and daughter died unexpectedly. When a traumatic death occurs, we face the unfortunate fact that ourContinue reading “Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop”
The Fight to Flourish
Grief work is hard. It seems absurd to make that statement because anyone who has suffered a loss knows how difficult this journey is. We don’t get through grief by happenstance. It takes work to walk this road. After losing my daughter, I read as much as possible as I tried to piece together theContinue reading “The Fight to Flourish”