Grief Archives -

You Made it Through The Holidays, Now What?

Emotional Health, Grief, Relationships | 3 minutes of reading

“You Made it Through The Holidays, Now What?” Coping with loss during the holidays and special occasions is an immense challenge, particularly for those who have lost a spouse. While you may have successfully navigated the recent holiday season, it’s crucial to recognize that the journey through grief is ongoing. Your first year, marked by the absence of the person you shared these special moments with, can be particularly poignant. This article reflects on the challenges faced and suggests constructive ways to cope. During the holiday season, the absence of a loved one becomes acutely […]

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Emotional Health, Grief, Relationships

Was it love of just bad timing?

Emotional Health, Grief, Relationships | 4 minutes of reading

Was it love or just bad timing? Approximately six months after Cindy died, I visited Abilene to visit my kids at college. I received a call from Cindy’s mother on my return trip home. She told me she felt it was time I moved on with my life and informed me she was at my house, cleaning out Cindy’s clothes and had cleaned out the bathroom cabinet of all her perfumes, makeup, etc. In horror, I had no words and somehow remained in control of my car as I pulled over to understand what was

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Emotional Health, Grief, Relationships

When You Feel Hope Is Lost

Emotional Health, Grief | 8 minutes of reading

When You Feel Hope Is Lost I heard this story a few days ago and wanted to share it with you as a story of encouragement. What do you do when all hope is lost, the pressure mounts, you lose it all overnight, the foreclosure of your home, the repossession of your car, and the food pantry is your only food source? It did for this lady when you thought it could not worsen. Statistics show that many widows and widowers suffer financially after losing a spouse—especially widows. I believe you will find the

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Emotional Health, Grief

Experience Loss? Not Ready? Now Is The Time.

Emotional Health, Faith, Financial, Grief, Life Stories, Relationships | 2 minutes of reading

Experience Loss? Not Ready? Now Is The Time. THESE ARE THE STEPS YOU NEED TO TAKE Losing a loved one is tragic, no matter how it happens. Unfortunately, when you experience loss, knowledge is power. There are critical steps to take to ensure protection from the legal system. In my book, “The Surviving Spouse Club,” on page 236, I have written with considerable detail about each of these 39 unique documents you need at hand at the time of loss. Not having these documents could cost you a lot of money in your time of

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Emotional Health, Faith, Financial, Grief, Life Stories, Relationships

Father’s Day Is Not Fun When You Have Lost Your Father

Emotional Health, Grief | 3 minutes of reading

Father’s Day Is Not Fun When You Have Lost Your Father Day-to-day life in America is becoming increasingly disturbing, even with Father’s Day approaching. With all the anxiety and stress revealed on the nightly news, no wonder our sense of normality is all but gone. So many in our country have lost dads and husbands because of unexpected violence that this Father’s Day, there will be a lot of emptiness at the dinner table. Father’s Day, when everyone celebrates Father’s, which represents one-half of the strength of the family unit, will not be a celebration

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Emotional Health, Grief

The Anatomy Of A Family Pandemic

Grief | 4 minutes of reading

The Anatomy Of A Family Pandemic Families around the world today face pandemic situations when a health pandemic sweeps the globe, which for many feels like the unexplainable, uncontrollable emotion a family feels when losing a loved one. The Kubler-Ross model of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance are all emotions that surface during such situations, yet there is no particular order or timing of these emotions. We have known about these five specific emotional responses since Kubler-Ross published their book on death and dying in 1969. The year 2020 may go down as the

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Grief

Three Of The Top Ten Steps To Begin The Grief Process

Grief | 3 minutes of reading

Three Of The Top Ten Steps To Begin The Grief Process TRUTH TIME – You have suffered a loss; it is okay to admit that fact. You may think this to be a ridiculous comment, but until you can face the truth, you cannot heal. You cannot fix what you have not acknowledged. BUDDY UP – This is your accountability partner, who is critical in the healing process. Someone to help keep you on track. Listen to wise advice. Choose a trusted friend, someone you can trust to place your best interest before their own.

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Grief

Helping Your Child Who Lost A Friend

Grief, Relationships | 3 minutes of reading

Helping Your Child Who Lost A Friend Most adults have experienced a loss of some type during their lifetime. Depending on the relationship, losing friends or family members is very uncomfortable to express. Now, put yourself in the position of a child or young adult. They may have witnessed death on television, but the experience is different when the death is someone they know personally. THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP IS IMPORTANT AT EVERY STAGE OF LIFE When young adults of any age face the death of someone they know, the trauma can shake them to their

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Grief, Relationships

3 Months, 15 Days, and 7 Hours, Now What?

Blog, Grief | 4 minutes of reading

3 MONTHS, 15 DAYS, AND 7 HOURS, NOW WHAT? Grief has no timeline and no defined pathway. I hear people say, “It’s been three months, 15 days, and 7 hours and I feel lost,” or “What do I do now?” Others will say, “My spouse died three years and nine months ago, and I still ______?______ all of the time.” This blank could represent one or many different difficulties a surviving spouse is facing. Most people are not prepared to face the loss of their spouse. When two individuals become one in marriage, they begin

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Blog, Grief

4 Ways To Comfort A Widower Who Is Grieving

Emotional Health, Grief | 6 minutes of reading

The death of a wife could be one of the most challenging events an older man can face, leaving family members and friends wondering about ways to comfort a widower. Before the death of a spouse, married men enjoy better health and greater longevity than those who are not married. But there’s a big problem once a spouse dies. Of all the unmarried people, those with the worst health and elevated risk of death are widowed. Widowhood increases economic vulnerability and financial strain, especially for women and racial-ethnic minorities. There is significantly less written on helping widowers than on

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Emotional Health, Grief