Saturday, May 29, 2010

Thanks To Those Who Died for Our Freedom

Remember, by Brian Vaszily ~ Dedicated to those men and women who died for our freedom:

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Making the Most of Memorial Day

[Reviewed and updated May 22, 2024]

They fell, but o'er their glorious grave
Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save.
~Francis Marion Crawford

Nearly three million men and women have served in the U.S. military over the last fifteen years, and more than half of them are married with children.
 
Originally designated as a day “to cherish tenderly the memory of our heroic dead,” Memorial Day is held on the last Monday of May each year. The holiday offers us a great opportunity to recognize and honor the sacrifice of these dedicated service members and their families.

We can help our children and grandchildren understand why this holiday is a special one for our country.  See, for example, Celebrating Memorial Day with Children.

In addition, as this holiday weekend approaches, we can make an effort to learn about and support some of the many organizations devoted to helping military families through the challenges they face: 
  • USO – United Services Organization is a congressionaly chartered, nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide morale, welfare and recreation-type services to service members and their families.  
  • Soldiers’ Angels Founded by the mother of two American soldiers, this volunteer-led organization provides aid and comfort to veterans, the wounded, deployed service members and their families.
  • A Million Thanks is a year-round campaign to show our appreciation to our U.S. Military Men and Women for their sacrifices, dedication, and service to our country through our letters, emails, cards, and prayers.
  • Bugles Across America was founded by a veteran to ensure that during a military burial service, every fallen hero will receive a live rendition of Taps, played by a live bugler .
     
  • TAPS, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors is “the 24/7 tragedy assistance resource for ANYONE who has suffered the loss of a military loved one, regardless of the relationship to the deceased or the circumstance of the death . . .  TAPS provides comfort and care through comprehensive services and programs including peer based emotional support, case work assistance, crisis intervention, and grief and trauma resources.”  
  • American Widow Project is a non-profit organization “dedicated to the new generation of those who have lost the heroes of yesterday, today and tomorrow, with an emphasis on healing through sharing stories, tears and laughter--Military Widow to Military Widow."
    • Participate in the National Moment of Remembrance which invites us to pause for one minute on Memorial Day, at 3:00 p.m. local time, to acknowledge the sacrifices of our fallen and their families. 
    • Whenever we see a person in a military uniform, we can say, “Thank you for serving our country and keeping us safe.”
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 NewsletterSign up here.

 Related Articles and Videos:

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Using Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) in Grief

[Reviewed and updated May 1, 2022]

When the Crying Won't Stop, Try Breathing - In this interesting article from Open to Hope, Gloria Arenson, MFT, DCEP, expert in using Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), describes a simple technique for lessening the pain of negative emotions in grief -- one that can be used "one or more times a day to calm yourself any time you feel as if your despair is too much to bear."

Guided Imagery expert Belleruth Naparstek offers her opinion about EFT in her response to a reader's question, Does Emotional Freedom Technique Work for PTSD? See also EFT for Combat Veterans and Sue Hannibal's transcript of her EFT session, A One-Session Wonder: EFT Heals Combat Trauma in Sgt. Joshua. (Did you know that EFT is also effective in healing traumatized animals? See Healing Traumatized Animals with EFT.)

In this fascinating video, EFT Master Barbara Smith demonstrates how EFT can help, as she gently guides a bereaved mother in using the tapping technique to relieve the pain and suffering of her daughter's tragic death:



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 NewsletterSign up here

Additional Resources:
© by Marty Tousley, RN, MS, FT, BC-TMH     

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Selected Tweets, Week of May 16 - May 22


Recommended reading, from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

On Caregiving and Hospice:


  • Stan Goldberg: Helping Those in Pain Requires Acceptance, Compassion | Open to Hope Foundation http://bit.ly/d9oyOD
On Understanding and Managing Grief:

  • Mary Jane Hurley Brant: What it Means to Grieve a Loss, via her blog, When Every Day Matters http://bit.ly/ccamDO
  • Research: Bereaved Relatives Helped by Opportunity to View Body After Sudden Loss http://bit.ly/9Otztv
  • Patrick Malone: Bereaved Father Discovers He’s Not Alone | Open to Hope Foundation http://bit.ly/9J9r30
New Beginnings:
  • Harriet Hodgson: Despite Losses, We Can Be Who We Want to Be | Open to Hope Foundation http://bit.ly/9pfQwf
On Pet Loss:

Other Recommended Listening, Viewing, and Reading:
  • Belleruth Naparstek:Relax with Guided Imagery: Press 'Play' and Go to Your Happy Place http://huff.to/b1GGJl 

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Grieving Children and Adolescents: The Role of Internet Support

As part of its effort to explore how children and adolescents can use the Internet as an additional source of information and support for grief, Hospice Foundation of America will offer an online Webinar, Grieving Children and Adolescents: The Role of Internet Support on Tuesday, June 15, 2010, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM Eastern Time.  Panelists Pamela Gabbay and Cendra Lynn will discuss advantages and disadvantages of utilizing the Internet for bereavement support, as well as innovative strategies for using this technology for education, ritual and support in a monitored, safe way. Registration is open to both individuals and to organizations.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Selected Tweets, May 9 - May 15

Recommended reading, from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

On Caregiving and Hospice:
  • Helpful Information: Are you seeing dementia symptoms in your elderly loved one? http://bit.ly/9HO0zK
On Understanding and Managing Grief:
 On Mother's Day:
  • Dempsey Rice: Mother’s Day Transforms After Mom’s Suicide | Open to Hope Foundation http://bit.ly/9rMKIf
  • Connie Vasquez: The First Mother’s Day Without Mine | Open to Hope Foundation http://bit.ly/9AqLOc
 On Pet Loss:
Other Recommended Listening, Viewing, and Reading:
 Helpful Web Sites:
  • Widow Match: from Soaring Spirits Loss Foundation, free widow and widower match programs to connect you with others who understand
  • Interregnum: Grief support, education and outreach - "providing meaningful service to all who grieve and to all who care about them."
  • The Checkout Line – Daily online advice for both the terminally ill and their friends and relatives - "Every week day your questions about dying - how it affects you, how to deal with it - will be answered."

Monday, May 10, 2010

National Nurses Week, May 6-12

I am proud to join with my nurse colleagues in celebrating National Nurses Week.  Today's nurses fill important roles in many different settings, including homes, schools, shelters, clinics, and hospitals -- but the nurses with whom I am privileged to work in hospice are among the most dedicated and compassionate.  It's no exaggeration to say that I am blessed to be working with angels.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Selected Tweets, May 2 - May 8

Not to be missed reading, from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week,

On Caregiving and Hospice:
  • Stan Goldberg: Understanding Chronic and Terminal Iillnesses: A Guide for Healthy People, http://bit.ly/ahZ77d
On Understanding and Managing Grief: 
On Pet Loss: 
  • Turning Tragedy into a New Direction through Pet Loss/Grief Support: Goodgriefpetloss's Blog http://bit.ly/9XiLYX
Other Recommended Reading:

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Selected Tweets, April 25 - May 1

Recommended Reading, from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week,

On Caregiving and Hospice:
  • Alert! On CBS Sunday Morning - A Segment on Palliative Care This Sunday, May 2, with Interviews with Dr Meier and Robert Pardi 
  • Enlist Support of Extended Family Members and Adult Day Care Services to Alleviate Stress of Caregiving: http://bit.ly/9OUSbo
  • Man With Cancer Seeks Father Figures for His Daughters in 'The Council of Dads' http://bit.ly/d9wFqh

On Understanding and Managing Grief:
  • Kelly Buckley: Healthcare Professionals Need to Ask: Is It Depression? Or Is It Grief? http://bit.ly/9C19FM
  • Research Demonstrates: Conscious Focus on Gratitude Has Emotional, Physical and Interpersonal Benefits -- and It's Free! http://bit.ly/dBW9dn
  • Kelly Buckley on Writing Your Own Fortune, via Gratitude In Grief: The Fortune Cookie http://bit.ly/cGKnPg
On Pet Loss: 
Other: 
  • The Power of Mutual Support Groups: Mental Health Patients Turn to Each Other | Seattle Times http://bit.ly/bCqW2i