Grief Digest Articles

There used to be a dog food commercial on television that always brought tears to my eyes. It showed a young girl running up a flight of stairs and calling for a friend. The friend, a red haired Irish Setter puppy, struggles up the stairs like any clumsy puppy would. The next time she calls, the dog is a vibrant, full grown dog full of energy, chasing after his teenage companion. As the commercial ends, a beautiful woman calls, and an elderly Irish Setter, with a white muzzle struggles up th …

On November 23rd, 2018, the day after Thanksgiving, John Vincent Kaplan took his own life. He was 43 years old.I met John in September of 1993 when I was 17 and he was 18. We had been set up by a mutual friend, upon whom he had a massive crush. Said friend basically just wanted to get him off her back. John was exactly what my silly adolescent mind considered to be perfect boyfriend material: he was beautiful (vaguely resembled Jim Morrison, his idol); he had the soul of a tortured poet; great s …

Forming A Fellowship of Light and Dark Through Loss“La mucha luz es como la mucha sombra: no deja ver” ~ “Too much light is like too much shadow: it does not allow one to see” - Octavio Paz.What Is There to Be Grateful For?Let’s face it, just because the holidays are on a calendar does not mean that everyone is on the same schedule to feel the spirit of joy and celebration. Every person faces suffering. Here are four common shouts of pain that we don’t talk about at the annual holiday party: Lo …

Choose to honor what feels right for you. There are no rules.After my Mom died, I chose to honor the traditions of my family while adding some new. Honoring the traditions of my childhood after my Mom died felt comforting and in some ways empowering knowing that I was carrying on our family traditions in strength, in memory, in sorrow, in love, in the powerful knowing that my memories of holidays past would guide me to create more memories, different memories, new memories as I continue to live …

During more than forty years in the classroom with elementary children and fifteen plus years with children in a grief support program for families, I have seen children’s lives touched with the use of appropriate literature as they struggle with special emotional problems at school and after a death. This article is based on the latter. Journey of Hope Grief Support Center serves all family members. Pre-school and elementary children are with facilitators who are trained to use books for their …