Voices of Experience

Writing is one of the oldest methods of self-exploration, self-expression and self-discovery ~ and as such, it can serve as a powerful and effective tool for healing in grief. The titles listed below are links to the guest posts that have appeared from time to time on this blog, reflecting the authors' personal experiences of loss. I am grateful to these bereaved individuals for their willingness to open their hearts and share their innermost thoughts and hard-won wisdom with our readers.


A Butterfly by Anne Bardsley

A Glimpse of Life After Loss by Sharon McCuistian

A Physician's Personal Lessons from Loss by Dr. Caroline Macari

A Promise At Passing by J. Ivanel Johnson

A Reflection on Grief and Mourning by Rabbi Joseph H. Krakoff and Dr. Michelle Y. Sider

Are You Still Mine? by Jayne Pillemer

A Toddler In The World of Grief by Harry Proudfoot

Advice on Coping with Loss by Hannah Wessel

Always by Christina Holmes

Anticipatory Grief Poem ~ "Edge of Day" by Bill Scott

At Heaven's Door by William J. Peters

Becoming Starlight by Dr. Sharon Prentice



Daddy's Girl Saves Family Lessons -- And Mushy Valentines by Alicia King

Dead Serious by Linda I. Meyers

Death Is But A Dream by Christopher Kerr, MD, PhD

Death of a Friend and The Lesson of Feathers  by Julie Siri

Delayed Grief by Craig Moberg




Heartbreak to Hope by Kara Bowman

Helen's Christmas Gift by Bill Whittaker


It's Never Too Late to Grieve by Judy Lipson

Just Let Me Be Sad by Maria Kubitz

Learning To Be Happy Again by Maria Kubitz

Lessons We Can Learn from Loss by Stephanie Harris

Lettering Loss: The Abiding Nature of A Mother's Love by Jalyn Scott and Allison Scott Westman

Living After My Son's Suicide by Judi Merriam

Looking Back by Anne Gorman





Slipping Away by Wendy Willow

Soul Hunger in Love and Loss by Harry Proudfoot

Standing Up for What You Need When Grieving by Michelle Jarvie

Stepping Down by Marianne Monson

Surviving Complicated Grief by Sydell Weiner

The Art of Reassembly by Peg Conway

The Christmas Cap by Cathy Cash Spellman

The Empty Chair by Mary Friedel-Hunt

The Fire Circle of Healing by Mary Friedel-Hunt

The Gift of Goodbye by Rebecca Whitehead Munn

The Irony and Inconsistency of Grief by Charles W. Sidoti and Rabbi Akive Feinstein

The Jury Has Made A Decision by Kelley Lynn 

The Labyrinth of Grief by Mary Friedel-Hunt

The Porcelain Starfish by Deborah Hare

The Power of Remembering: My Grandfather's Pipe by Benjamin Tousley

The Ring by Harry Proudfoot

The Stethoscope: A Link to Past, Present and Future by Harriet Hodgson

The Tragedy in Newtown, CT by Harry Proudfoot

The Trouble With Triggers by Harry Proudfoot

The Weight of Things Un-named by Joel McKerrow

The Wisdom of A 5-Year Old Picking Carrots by Mary Beth Beck-Henderson

The Write Way: Using The Written Word to Heal Grief by Vanessa Poster

The Voice on the Answering Machine by Linda Campanella

These Words by Greg Walker

This Birthday by Catharine H. Murray

Tips to Make Your Way through Grief by Kay Oxford 

Unending Circle by Amy Willard

What I've Learned from Grief

What You Want Your Loved Ones to Know When You Die by Rusty Rosman

When My Story Ends by The Mammals

When Narrative Heals by Katherine Thome

Why Are We So Afraid to Cry? by Sarah Neustadter

Why I Wrote You Are Not Alone by Debbie Augenthaler

Why Self-Pity May Be Unjustified -- And Unhelpful by Mark Hendricks

Winter Grief by David Whyte

Wonder by Kathie Brumbaugh

You Know You're Getting Better When... by Laurie Burrows Grad