Grief Digest Articles

AN EARLY EULOGYBY NANCY WORLEYWouldn’t it be appropriate if eulogies could be heard by the person before they die? Expressing gratitude before death, benefits both the giver and receiver and provides encouragement during difficult times.My neighbor Pete died in July of 2015. I moved next door to him three years before he died. The doc had told him his time was limited -- maybe six months, he had a leaky heart valve and was ineligible for any new clinical trials.“I’m gonna live until I die,” was …

A Mother’s Work Is Never Doneby Richard L. BelfordThere are people, we cannot replace,debts we can never repay,times only we remember.I recall your losing more than could be given, giving more than could be repaid,more times, than can be remembered.My dreams are bountiful, your misgivings fueled my desire to succeed, your patience sustained me through adversity. I always strived to do the same.When that which we had seems forever lost, I often look to the evening sky for a glimpse of the brighte …

Painful Power-Kristen Ladetto“There are two types of pain, one that hurts you and the other that changes you.” –AnonymousRecognizing that my pain is my power is a long, never ending, tedious, and grueling process. Fueling my life in an infinite amount of ways that I never knew possible, and leaning on it like a child with a broken leg who leans on a crutch. Begging God for a softer heart is not a daily task, but it seems as though it should be. However, the lonely and bitter drives me to do so…s …

3 Ways to Survive Grief During the HolidaysBy Maryann Manelski, survivingloss.orgThe days are dark now here in the northern hemisphere. For those of us grieving lost loved ones, the coming gray of winter is often a better match for our feelings than the gatherings and gifts that mark the holiday season. The experience of loss during the holidays can bring a new kind of lonely upon us.However, in just a few weeks, this new pain will lighten. It is certain as the sunrise that there will be a day c …

I knew the holidays were coming but I didn’t want to deal with them and I really didn’t want to put up any of the holiday decorations. Well-meaning family and friends kept telling me that I needed to “get into the spirit” of the holidays. I agreed that I would at least get the boxes out of storage and go through them. I soon realized that each box held memories of past holidays and celebrations. At times, I was overwhelmed with the feelings that I experienced as I opened the boxes that held my p …