Monday, August 29, 2011

Voices of Experience: The Empty Chair

Grief always demands expression, and the wounds of loss heal more quickly and effectively when that expression finds a meaningful path. ~ Laurel Lagoni

Mary Friedel-Hunt lost her husband to Alzheimer's disease in 2010.  As his primary caregiver, she was able to keep her husband at home for more than four years, except for a long hospital stay shortly before he died. They were married almost 24 years. He died at home in her arms on March 27, 2010.  

Mary writes, "I miss him every day...we were best friends, co-workers . . . After helping hundreds of people [as a clinical social worker] for 40 years, I find this the most devastating loss I have ever experienced. I am changed forever by it. A part of me is gone forever. I am choosing to walk through the grieving...not around it."

Her beautiful poem is reprinted here with her permission:

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Understanding and Managing Grief, August 21 - August 27, 2011

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Caregiving and Hospice, August 21 - August 27, 2011

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Coping with Pet Loss, August 21 - August 27, 2011

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Monday, August 22, 2011

Saying Goodbye to Beringer

Dear Ones,
I'd like you all to know that this morning, August 22, 2011 we said our final farewell to our beloved Tibetan terrier, Beringer. He was born August 15, 1996, and came to us eight weeks later as the most precious and adorable puppy we'd ever seen. Over the years he wrapped his furry self around every aspect of our daily lives, and has been for both of us the source of the most exquisite form of love: complete, pure and unconditional. He has always been everything a dog should be: our most loyal and constant companion. He will be sorely missed.

My heart is too broken to say any more at the moment, so this will have to do:

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Caregiving and Hospice, August 14 - 20, 2011

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Understanding and Managing Grief, August 14 - 20, 2011

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Coping with Pet Loss, August 14 - 20, 2011

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Sunday, August 14, 2011

What I've Learned from Grief

[Reviewed and updated September 17, 2020]

There is only one thing more painful than learning from experience, and that is not learning from experience.  ~Laurence J. Peter

Over a single weekend, a remarkable series of posts appeared in one of the forums on our online Grief Healing Discussion Groups. Entitled What I’ve Learned, it began when one of our widowed members decided to share what she’s learned from grief—both positive and negative—and she invited others to follow suit.

The result is a remarkable list of helpful tips and insights, all containing the wisdom that only comes from the hard-won, gut-wrenching experience of having lost a loved one. We decided that such wisdom deserves to be shared with others who are grieving.

Understanding and Managing Grief, August 7 - August 13, 2011

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Caregiving and Hospice, August 7 - August 13, 2011

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

Coping with Pet Loss, August 7 - August 13, 2011

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

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Understanding and Managing Grief, July 31 - August 6, 2011

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

Caregiving and Hospice, July 31 - August 6, 2011

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

Coping with Pet Loss, July 31 - August 6, 2011

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

Monday, August 1, 2011

Deadline Extended: Nationwide Poll of Grieving Families

Originally intended to close the end of July, The National Alliance for Grieving Children has extended its groundbreaking Nationwide Poll of Grieving Families through September 30, 2011.  Bereaved families with children still living at home are invited to participate, including
  • parents whose spouse or partner has died (married, unmarried, divorced and LGBT families are welcome)
  • parents whose child has died 
  • children (ages 3 to 19) whose parent has died 
  • children (ages 3 to 19) who had a sibling who died

Each survey takes about 30 minutes to finish, but must be completed all in one session.  Participation in this nationwide survey is completely voluntary and strictly confidential.  Results will be compiled only in the aggregate; specific responses will never be linked to any individual or family.

For further details, see Nationwide Poll of Grieving Families