Grief Digest Articles

10 Reasons Why You Should Consider Decorating a Tree When GrievingWe dragged the tubs of Christmas ornaments from the basement just like we always did before he died. They sat on the living room floor unopened. A naked evergreen tree sat unadorned in the corner of the room beckoning to be touched and beautified. In my heart, there was an incredible emptiness and fear. The thought of putting up a Christmas tree after the death of our son, Chad, created questions and strong protest. Why should I …

By Nan ZastrowQuote: “ Someone asked me, “What is your religion?” And I said, “All paths that lead to the light.” Death by suicide is a traumatic event that affects even the strongest families. I thought we had that strong foundation in our faith. We experienced other difficulties in our lives, but none caused the spiritual flame to flicker quite so weakly at Chad’s unexpected death by suicide. It was a time of true spiritual distress that couldn’t immediately be comforted by the Holy Word, pra …

Is it possible, on the cobbled path of grieving, to one day imagine that you will feel strong enough to hold your grief and reach out to others in need? If you had asked me this question a decade ago after the death of my fourteen-year-old daughter Elizabeth from a rare bone cancer, I would have said no. How could I possibly carry the heavy weight of grief and be strong enough to help others who are suffering or needing help on their life’s journey?And yet, there were moments when I saw a mother …

A message about suicide by Nan Zastrow, Wausau, WIThis is an encore article. It was published in Grief Digest in 2005 shortly after the death of our son, Chad Zastrow, as a result of suicide. These were my initial thoughts about how I might accept suicide as a life event and live with this painful loss. At one time, our family enjoyed playing the board game of LIFE. It was exciting to see what you could do with your life in a few short hours. The obstacles along the way were ones we laughed abou …

Outsider – person interacting with the widowerMourner – widower’s external (observable) presentation, behavior, voiceGriever – widower’s internal (private, hidden) thoughts, voiceAn encounter at fifth month from the date of her death…Outsider: Hey, I’ve been meaning to call you. Glad to run into you today. This COVID stuff has been so crazy and I’ve not been out much at all. But anyway, how have you been?Mourner: I’m good. Griever: It’s been pretty bad. Things have died i …