Pet Loss: A Letter of Thanks

Image by June Laves from Pixabay 

[There are] two kinds of gratitude: The sudden kind we feel for what we take; the larger kind we feel for what we give.  ~ Edwin Arlington Robinson

A reader writes: Dear Marty, I want to express my gratitude to you personally for the comfort and strength you have given me and others like myself who have lost special companion animals. My cat of eleven and a half years died of kidney disease. We had him euthanized when the disease had progressed to the point where, although he still had his dignity and awareness, he was so painfully thin and weak that we knew he was very tired; he had "fought the good fight," and it was time to let him go. 

Understanding and Managing Grief, June 9 - June 15, 2019

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

What is Complicated Grief? http://j.mp/2IhVmeb « Seven Ponds Blog

Fathers Day approaches. Reminders are everywhere, a source of additional pain for so many people, in so many different ways. This week we'll be sharing links related to Father's Day, starting with a selection of grief resources collected by Grief Healing, http://bit.ly/2t3YL7I « Refuge in Grief

The Fog of Grief and How to Deal With It, http://j.mp/2Rfnkdk « NextAvenue

Voices of Experience: Caregiver Recovery versus Bereavement

Nancy with her husband Larry 

It is not the load that breaks you down. It’s the way you carry it.  ~ Lena Horne, singer

By Nancy Hardaway

In the introduction to her website The Artful Caregiver, blogger Nancy Hardaway acknowledges that ~ after years of caring for her widowed mother, then her widowed sister and finally her husband ~ it was only in retrospect that she identified herself as a caregiver. Through her blog, she decided to share her caregiving journey "in the hopes that someone can be helped by what they read - that some benefit can come from all that we experience." Two months ago, Nancy's beloved husband Larry succumbed to the rare neurodegenerative disease that finally claimed his life. Now in the aftermath of devastating loss, Nancy continues sharing her hard-won "wisdom, woes, triumphs and tips," offering her insights as she transitions from life as a caregiver into that of a bereaved spouse.

Caregiving and Hospice, June 2 - June 8, 2019

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Paging Dr. Spot, http://j.mp/2WOYOVG « AAMC News

Does Medicine Have a Wall of Silence? http://j.mp/2WMChbX « Medpage Today

The Truth about Hospice, http://j.mp/2QOU7po « Benevilla

Understanding and Managing Grief, June 2 - June 8, 2019

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

How Can You Recover Emotionally After Causing Accidental Death or Injury? http://j.mp/2R0bYd1 « Seven Ponds Blog

18 Caregiving Skills I Can Use on Me! http://j.mp/2R02Vc7 « The Artful Caregiver

Creativity in Grief, http://j.mp/2QWAL1v « Grief Dialogues Blog

Coping with Pet Loss, June 2 - June 8, 2019

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Pet Grief Is Traumatic: Harder Than Losing a Human Friend, Study Finds http://j.mp/2QLGdnS « Wide Open Pets

Researchers Reveal That Losing A Dog Can Be As Hard As Losing A Loved One, http://j.mp/2QWmSkh « Power of Positivity

The gifts our dying dog gave to my sons, http://j.mp/2KnBMyI « The Washington Post

Your feedback is welcome! Please feel free to leave a comment or a question, or share a tip, a related article or a resource of your own in the Comments section below. If you’d like Grief Healing Blog updates delivered right to your inbox, you’re cordially invited to subscribe to our weekly Grief Healing Newsletter. Sign up here.

In Grief: Setting Clear Boundaries

Boundaries in child-parent relationships basically establish that you're an adult with your own rights, choices, preferences and capacities.  ~ JR Thorpe

A reader writes: We lost our dad 5 months ago and my mother-in-law 3 months ago. My mom is constantly complaining that my 2 siblings and I are not doing more for her. I'm feeling very depressed with all the guilt she is putting on me.

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 26 - June 1, 2019

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

How Do you Move Forward After Causing Accidental Death Or Injury (CADI)? http://j.mp/2KlfOMr « Seven Ponds Blog

Grief Looks a Lot Like 'Crazy' http://j.mp/2KcKpvS « Modern Loss

Review: Dead to Me Is a Quietly Radical Depiction of Grief’s Emotional Haze, http://j.mp/2Iab7mh « Slant Magazine

Using Movies to Move Through Grief

Image by stokpic from Pixabay 

I've got plenty of people I can do something with -- just none I can do nothing with.  ~ Widower Joe Warr (Clive Owen) in The Boys Are Back

Movies and DVD rentals that dramatize others coming to terms with their pain may serve as a valuable tool to help you and your family members better understand and move through the grieving process.

Getting in touch with the painful feelings of grief and releasing blocked or pent-up emotions by having a good cry can be cleansing and stress-reducing. Movies can be an effective tool in addressing certain grief issues, especially when your selections are made consciously and deliberately.

Caregiving and Hospice, May 19 - May 25, 2019

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

Insightful and informative: Caregiver Recovery versus Bereavement, http://j.mp/2VVSBHT « The Artful Caregiver

How to Plan for Weddings AND Funerals, http://j.mp/2VRCKKz « A Good Goodbye ~ Funeral Planning for Those Who Don't Plan to Die

3 things about psychiatry that don't focus on pathology, http://j.mp/2VVjFa8 « Kevin MD