Grief Digest Articles

The motor of the Singer sewing machine sounded like the engine of a truck, a loud sound that vibrated my table. Its yellowish surface with all the scratches from use showed its age--over thirty-six years of ownership. I was impressed that it lasted so long and that it still works! Old stuff was built to last. I brushed the fuzz, oiled the bobbin case, wiped the exterior clean, and began to stitch. Aunt Mary lent me this sewing machine when I was an undergraduate at Valdosta State University. I u …

By Victoria Rosen She comes to me a lot when I’m in the bath. As I’m about to shave or wash myself, images of me washing her come back, like a veteran with PTSD. Flashes of me drying her legs off with her favorite towel. Images of me holding her arms as I tried to use enough cream to beat away the crepey oldness of hers. Brushing her wet hair like a toddler fresh from a bath. Her eyes looking up at me because she is suddenly so old and so small. Her still seeing me but no longer seei …

On August 29, 2024, thirty-one-year-old NHL hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and his best friend, twenty-nine-year-old brother Matthew were hit by a drunk driver and killed while out for a ride on their bicycles. It was not only the eve of their sister Katie’s wedding in which they were to be groomsmen, but it was later learned that both Johnny and Matthew’s wives, Meredith and Madeline, were expecting. Unfortunately, this kind of tragedy happens far too often and except for its famous vi …

A commitment in life and in death. by Nan Zastrow  “Success in marriage is more than finding the right person. It’s becoming the right person.” Many of us had those “puppy love crushes” in our teenage years with no expectation of it leading to the altar. I purchased a cute valentine for a “guy” I was dating on-again, off-again. There was no intention in mind other than to get his attention with a bit of lighthearted humor. For all I knew, he could h …

by Nan Zastrow Valentine’s Day can be a painful reminder of everything missing. It’s not only the person. It’s the memories, the affection, and the experiences you once enjoyed with a loved one. Our society revolves around young love, mature love and everything in between as long as there are two.  Valentine’s Day is wrapped up in commercialization equal to other pricy holidays.  Flowers, a box of chocolates, gifts and dinner for two has become the standard to d …