Grief Digest Articles

This is for all the Baby Boomers who have had the good fortune of seeing their parents grow old together, but are now starting to lose them.It is not only very difficult for the surviving parent, but also for their sons and/or daughters to witness one, missing the other.I feel grief is one of society’s most commonly misunderstood and profoundly difficult experiences that those who’ve never had the misfortune of being held in its grasp, believe can be resolved by closure. When in reality there is …

To Cindy from AndyShe almost didn’t see the old mirror at the back of her closet. She was looking for her blue sweater to add another layer against the cold she felt at her core. The image of the mirror tugged at her and with great effort she pulled the wood and glass from its long sleepShe lifted the mirror from her dresser, leaning it against the wall, and sank onto the stool in an effort to catch her breath. Her first glance at the mirror had triggered distant memories. Of her games and conve …

We tend to believe horrible things won't happen to us, but unfortunately, they do. The term stillbirth in my opinion takes away from the reality of the pain of infant loss. In reality, you are losing a child, that you have bonded with for many months. On December 7th, 2018 I went into labor with my daughter Wynter at 36 weeks. Just one month from my due date. When I got to the hospital, I was told she didn't have a heartbeat. Words cannot describe the despair, panic, confusion, and anger (to nam …

My daughter Randi’s life and the suicidal hell that led to her death are carved into my bones as if into marble. At thirteen, her jaw had been shattered by a horse and irreparably damaged. There were many jaw surgeries and she learned to live with chronic pain. She struggled with life, yet managed to become an ob-gyn.At age forty-six, after her first mild suicide attempt, she spent three days in a psychiatric facility, where we were allowed one daily visit in a well-guarded, group room. My knees …

By Cheryl NewbanksAfter my son passed away, I did nothing but lay on the couch, lay in my bed, sit and stare, try to absorb the shock, and try to make life, make sense again. I didn’t feel like doing anything, as everything took so much effort and I had zero enthusiasm to try. What I found, as time went by, was that living this way was really more difficult and a heavier load then trying to do something. The most difficult thing to face, was that getting better wasn’t going to be easy either, ev …