August 6, 2019
Is it OK to grieve when a celebrity dies?
As a woman of a certain age I, like many in my peer group, spent my formative Wednesday evenings glued to the TV, tuned into the trials and tribulations of the group of impossibly old-looking teenagers on Beverly Hills 90210. Dylan, played by Luke Perry, was my TV boyfriend. His non-threatening bad boy character spoke to my 14-year old heart. Fast forward many years, and my world was a bit turned upside down when I
I just read the most beautiful article about how to grieve. However, although the author possibly doesn’t even know it, it was also about what to really say to the grieving. The article, posted online by The Irish Times, was titled “Message to a heartbroken widow: embrace your grief“. The author, Michael Harding, describes a chance encounter with a young widow. He uses her story, along with his observations of how his mother grieved following
April 23, 2019
How to Make Grief Visible – Tattoos and Other Ideas
As tattoos have moved from the purview of sailors and subcultures like bikers into the mainstream, memorial tattoos have become more and more common. If you are considering commemorating the life of your loved one in a permanent way, you have probably already taken a lot of time to plan the design and decide where you want to place it on your body. There is significant healing to be found through the process of visible
March 11, 2019
Why Grieving People Feel Guilty
Survivor’s guilt is a term that’s used in traumatic situations. It describes the feelings of guilt felt by someone who survives a situation when others did not. Often it refers to a situation such as a car accident or suicide. The surviving individual struggles with feelings of guilt, either as to why they survived instead of their loved one, or why couldn’t they save them. Recently however, I was introduced to an expanded meaning of
January 18, 2019
January – A time to breathe again
The holiday season is over. Kids are back at school, decorations are packed away (or getting there!) and eating habits are returning from holiday free-for-all to a semblance of healthfulness. For many people, it can be very anti-climactic after the excitement of the festive season. “Post-holiday slump” can feel grey and disappointing. For people who are grieving though, it might feel entirely different. January feels like the month when you can breathe again. January is