Grief Digest Articles

On January 17, 2016 at 1:30 AM I watched my father enter the gates of heaven after a 7 year battle with Stage 4 base of the tongue cancer. While his death was “beautiful” his battle was horrific. My father, my best friend, my hero, suffered endlessly. Although he was “cancer free” when he passed, the severe radiation treatments he bravely endured destroyed his body. He spent the last 3 years of his life chocking on what little saliva he had left. Many times it would enter his lungs and give him …

On Sunday, May, 22nd, I lost one of the most important and influential people in my life, my father. Although I have, and will always miss him, I was fortunate enough to have worked by his side in a family owned business for fifteen-years.They were easily the most rewarding and memorable years of my life, in which he taught me many things, but showed me so much more.It was during this time that we became extremely close; both my daughters were born; I bought my first home and experienced the los …

My Second Chance at Love after the loss of my first loveIn the midst of heartache, I struggled everyday to keep a smile on my face. It had been 30 years since my first love had died, and I still could not get through the day without crying. “Why?” I would ask myself, slumped over the bathroom sink, in the morning getting ready for work. “Why am I still dealing with this heartache?” I would then pull myself together and go to work, and go about my day, moving forward until again, something remind …

Little did I think Joy would enter my life again after burying my two oldest children, 19-year-old Peggy and 21-year-old Denis, following a freak car accident while they were on summer vacation from college. Peggy died instantly and we thought Denis would make it, but he died the day after we buried Peggy, and we began our preparations for a second funeral in one week.My remaining child Annie left for college as a freshman 3 weeks later, so our home was very empty. Deafening silence haunted us. …

Through the last few months you have been processing the loss of your loved ones in many ways. In the daily activities you shared, in the smells that remind you of your loved one, even in public when you catch a glimpse of the families still together and you are alone. You have more than likely gone from a state of shock and numbness to raw emotion that you felt would never stop.It is in looking back that you can see the progress you have made. The mornings may not seem as surreal with your init …