Grief Digest Articles

By Bill Beckett When I lost my wife, Bonnie, six years ago, I discovered that grief creates its own version of a phantom limb. Except, I did not just lose a part of my body; I lost my life as I knew it. Occasionally, my brain still operates on that old map. My subconscious will sometimes attempt to pull me back into that previous existence. These are not just memories; they are search and rescue missions for a life that felt settled and safe. I see it in the phantom habits. I will be at the groc …

By Camille Johnson Bereaved parents, caregivers, and families living with grief often carry emotional pain that makes ordinary tasks feel unfamiliar. Loss can shrink a support circle overnight, leaving isolation at the exact moment steadiness is needed most. Then life adds another layer, appointments, paperwork, family needs, or sudden changes that demand coping with unexpected disruptions when energy and focus are already thin. Grief support and trustworthy bereavement resources can help create …

By Amaal Zaki When my grandmother died, the world lost a kind soul, but I lost the only person who had ever been truly kind to me. She was the only person who really loved me. She used to save desserts and food specifically for me. She would slip me money and ask if I had enough to get by, making sure I was okay. She'd tell me to keep studying and tell me I was doing well, even when I didn't believe it myself. You could hear it in her voice, she cared. It was in the way she talked to me and the …

By Delee Fromm Lately I have become fascinated with the concept of liminal spaces. Spaces that exist between two points in time, location, or identity. Limen means threshold in Latin and someone in liminal space is on the verge of change or in transition. Physical examples include hallways, stairwells, airports, or streets; areas through which people normally pass from one place to another. Liminal photography, which became popular during COVID, involves photos of these areas void of all people …

Introducing Living Grief Theory Naomi Sanderovsky, PhD There is something about pines, the way they hold their ground through every season, every storm. When I began building a retreat space among them for people in grief, I thought I understood what I was creating. The forest, it seems, knew better. My soul family, the people I had depended on through years of mourning, were meant to be an integral part of this space for others. Before we broke ground, every one of them died. The woods became …