Grief Digest Articles

In a previous Grief Digest article, a new concept specific to child loss was discussed (Grief’s Ladder). This concept evolved from decades-long journaling about the loss of our 17-year-old son, Andy, in a car accident in 1997. Although this model is fully explored in my Amazon memoir, Grief’s Ladder: A Son’s Death and a Father’s Healing Promise, this follow-up article will provide greater detail about the top two rungs of Grief’s Ladder, shown below.To provide some context I must first backtrack …

 Why holidays can be tough times“A grandparent will help you with your buttons, your zippers and your shoelaces and not be in any hurry for you to grow up” Erma BombeckThe American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) reports that there are 70 million grandparents in the United States today; the average age of a first time grandparent is 50 years old (David, P. & Nelson-Kakulla, B., 2019).  However, some people who deeply desire to be a grandparent don’t reach this life mileston …

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall All the kings’ men’s and all the kings’ horses Couldn’t put Humpty together againThe image of this old children’s rhyme stuck in my mind as I began to think of how broken I felt with the loss of so many loved family members. For years, I kept trying to piece together my crashed spirit. Sometimes, my patchwork repairs were quite awkward. Recent outward manifestations of patching cracked sidewalks, brick patios, and disintegrating …

Marketing Christmas has begun. I went to the supermarket the other day, and stockings, Christmas decorations, candy canes and toys for children were placed prominently and strategically in every corner of the store. Not surprising, Thanksgiving has not yet arrived.After the loss of my son, I didn’t have time to grieve on Christmas. We have our grandson every December, and it’s important to keep the season magical for him. Children are also the reason for the season.I do weep in front of Louie be …

Death often does not make sense, yet it is a part of our existence. Journaling helps process complicated feelings, which accompany the loss of a loved one. You have the freedom to express when you want and how much. Most people who grieve, keep their journal private to ensure they have a safe place to vent about the specific difficulties they face.Some grievers prefer a blank journal to free write, which means writing whatever comes into your mind without censoring it. Others prefer a jour …