Grief Digest Articles

Ten Steps to Reducing TensionBy Nancy WeilIt sneaks up on us at the most unexpected times. It doesn’t take much to send us there: an inappropriate comment from someone, too much to do and no energy to do it or a sudden flood of emotions welling up. Your day is going smoothly and suddenly, when one thing throws you a curve ball, you begin to feel yourself getting tense. The stress begins to build and your mind begins to look for ways to get out and lay on a beach somewhere. While thoughts of Tahi …

We do not always get to choose what life will teach us; life can be wildly unpredictable. On April 19, 2007, our lives slammed to a halt when our son, Matt, died. He was thirty-five years old, a graduate student in wildlife biology and on an exciting new path in his life. He was strong, tenderhearted, smart and devoted to all of us who loved him. And then…he was hit with a major depression so devastating that he could not recover. He tried hard to heal for eight months, doing all that we and the …

Myriad studies have shown that having an animal companion in your life is just plain good for you. Blood pressure is lowered, loneliness is diminished, psychological stress is reduced, social interactions and communication are enhanced, exercise may increase, and so on. Physical, emotional, cognitive, and psychosocial benefits to animal interaction abound, as the following examples show.As baby boomers age and become increasingly isolated senior citizens, cherished pets may be the only constant …

Some days we feel invisible; other days we feel maligned. Most days we feel anxious, and deeply sad (to the very marrow of the bone). Caring friends and loved ones are appreciated, but please forgive us when we are not able to tell you that. We see and hear your loving words; we feel your concern and care. But most of all we feel it when you cry with us, even if you are crying inwardly. That kind of love needs no words. We “know” that you share our pain, and while sometimes we just respond withi …

“Moving forward, or remaining suspended, in good grief is neither right nor wrong. It just is.”Nearly two decades, and still counting. Might we still be chasing the shadow of grief? Or is the shadow of grief a forever thing, one that will always be there no matter how we try to shed it?I’m sure some friends and family wonder why Gary and I are still absorbed in the work of grief. They may wonder why we still attend grief conferences, facilitate grief support groups, talk and write about grief, a …