204 results for 'difficult decisions'

IntroductionThe strong emotions that you feel after experiencing the loss of a loved one can cause confusion and painful misunderstanding. Knowing how to mourn and move forward throughout this period ...

Overcoming the Stigma of Suicide Accepting the Pain of GrievingIn June of 1989, my eldest brother, Dale, took his own life. He lived on the coast of North Carolina at the time. When my family in W ...

Some people will never understand the pain of losing a beloved pet. For those who feel the emotional depths of this type of loss, it can be confusing and frustrating to interact with people who for a ...

When life is easy and carefree we seldom struggle with its great questions. . .questions like:• How did humanity come into being?• How can every person be a unique creation?• What are we called to do ...

10 Reasons Why You Should Consider Decorating a Tree When GrievingWe dragged the tubs of Christmas ornaments from the basement just like we always did before he died. They sat on the living room floo ...

The time passed since my son’s death, has been one year, 3 months, and 16 days. There is still a deep ache in my chest, a chronic longing that I know can never be filled. I hurt in a way that only an ...

I first met Matt and Dylan at a summer soccer camp when I was in 3rd grade many years ago. My family had just moved to this new town, and I knew nobody. My shy demeanor and sheepish personality certa ...

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 Ir ...

You just never get over some grief. You learn to live with it by your side. It changes (thank God) and the intensity diminishes with time, but it never goes away completely. Grief is unique to every ...

Three Short Case Studies: Thoughts and Input of a Grief Counselor by Michael C. LaFerney Ph.D Case Study One: Dealing With Anger and GuiltA 78 year-old resident of nursing home dies in the ...

One of the most intimate moments you will have in life is saying goodbye to a loved one for the last time. Whether your goodbye is planned, unreciprocated or lacking, there is usually a residual feel ...

It’s called the Miracle of Life for a reason. The journey through pregnancy and child birth is astounding when you think of how scientific the body actually works. Cells multiply and divide at tremen ...

Unlike Ebenezer Scrooge’s ghost, my “ghost of Christmas past,” didn’t haunt me with bad deeds, greediness or distant memories. Instead, it caused an intense aching pain that validated my loss of dr ...

Everyone’s grief journey is different… and the ability to emerge with your soul intact is dependent upon your willingness to do the excruciatingly difficult work that grieving requires. It is a long ...

15 Things You Need to KnowDonna stood outside in the parking lot, in the dark, trying to talk herself into entering the building. Once in the door, the next step would be to take the stairway to the ...

Twenty years ago, a dear friend experienced the most unimaginable loss as her husband and two daughters were killed in a house explosion and she was seriously injured. In addition to losing her famil ...

From Tears of Mourning to Smiles of RemembranceBy Annette BridgesThe older my precious Lady got, I prayed she would pass peacefully in her sleep. I never wanted to face the decision to help her cross ...

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 ...

We do not always get to choose what life will teach us; life can be wildly unpredictable. On April 19, 2007, our lives slammed to a halt when our son, Matt, died. He was thirty-five years old, a grad ...

In a previous Grief Digest article, a new concept specific to child loss was discussed (Grief’s Ladder). This concept evolved from decades-long journaling about the loss of our 17-year-old son, Andy, ...