Grief Digest Articles

On August 29, 2024, thirty-one-year-old NHL hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and his best friend, twenty-nine-year-old brother Matthew were hit by a drunk driver and killed while out for a ride on their bicycles. It was not only the eve of their sister Katie’s wedding in which they were to be groomsmen, but it was later learned that both Johnny and Matthew’s wives, Meredith and Madeline, were expecting. Unfortunately, this kind of tragedy happens far too often and except for its famous vi …

A commitment in life and in death. by Nan Zastrow  “Success in marriage is more than finding the right person. It’s becoming the right person.” Many of us had those “puppy love crushes” in our teenage years with no expectation of it leading to the altar. I purchased a cute valentine for a “guy” I was dating on-again, off-again. There was no intention in mind other than to get his attention with a bit of lighthearted humor. For all I knew, he could h …

by Nan Zastrow Valentine’s Day can be a painful reminder of everything missing. It’s not only the person. It’s the memories, the affection, and the experiences you once enjoyed with a loved one. Our society revolves around young love, mature love and everything in between as long as there are two.  Valentine’s Day is wrapped up in commercialization equal to other pricy holidays.  Flowers, a box of chocolates, gifts and dinner for two has become the standard to d …

3 Easy Intentions for Bouncing Back by Nan Zastrow “ I love it when they drop the ball in Times Square. It’s a nice reminder of what I did all last year.” Bouncing back after significant loss is not only daunting but often shatters one’s self-confidence. I wanted to prove to myself that my grief was not going to control me and force me to surrender just because  certain tasks were tedious and the work was hard. Since my husband’s death, I began to question …

By Heather Hattie-Mae Mahaney Addiction did not arrive in my life like a storm. It crept in quietly, rearranging priorities, softening boundaries, asking for patience it would never return. At first, the person I loved was still there—laughing, working, showing up late but showing up. And then, slowly, almost imperceptibly, they began to dissolve. They walked away from the things that once defined them. Family gatherings were skipped. Friends stopped hearing back. Hobbies and intere …