Grief Digest Articles

By Hilda Villaverde I met Joe when I was thirty-five and he was forty-two. We married seven years later and divorced after ten years of marriage. Our friendship of forty years never ended until his passing a few weeks ago. Ours was a unique relationship of healing until the end.  Joe was a quiet private man. An only child, born in Kentucky and raised by his German grandmother while his father served in World War II and mother worked for the Red Coss, he earned degrees in engineering and bec …

By Keith Bettinger I didn’t know how much I loved her until she didn’t hand me my cup of coffee. I didn’t know how much I loved her until she played with the kids while I slept. I didn’t know how much I loved her until no one laughed at my jokes any more. I didn’t know how much I loved her until I had to make dinner for the kids and me. I didn’t know how much I loved her until I had to do the laundry. I didn’t know how much I loved her until I had to sit …

Deborah Kourgelis, LCSW, LCADC I recently read a quote by Amy Poehler, which said, “It’s never overreacting to ask for what you want and need.” I first thought of the hundreds of clients I have counseled in my practice as a grief therapist, especially women, who have felt judged by society as being “too emotional” when they express feelings, make requests, or stand up for themselves.   Human beings lack authority for so many reasons, including adverse chil …

By Camille Johnson Grief doesn’t just come in tears or silence. Sometimes it arrives as racing thoughts, a pounding chest, or the sudden need to leave a room. For many people, anxiety is how grief expresses itself. It can be erratic, physical, and overwhelming. These aren’t episodes of “being dramatic.” They’re real, somatic alarms from a nervous system struggling to recalibrate after loss. The line between sadness and fear blurs fast. That’s why preventing an …

By Tim Schramm, Licensed Funeral Director and National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) member As Grief Awareness Day approaches on August 30, I'm reminded of a fundamental truth I've witnessed countless times in my three decades as a funeral director: the families who struggle most with loss are often those who try to skip the very rituals designed to help them heal. Every week in our Detroit-area funeral homes, we facilitate grief support groups for 35 to 60 community members—not ju …