Monday, May 26, 2014

Memorial Day: Remembering the Fallen (and Those Who Love Them)

[Reviewed and updated May 28, 2023]

The patriot's blood is the seed of Freedom's tree.  ~ Thomas Campbell

Tim McGraw’s Tribute to Our Troops:




Sunday, May 25, 2014

Caregiving and Hospice, May 18 - May 24, 2014

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

Book Review: What Will Happen When I Die? http://j.mp/1p4COyx « SevenPonds Blog

Hospice volunteers helping families at end-of-life, http://j.mp/1p4sDKl « GRAND Magazine

Keeping the Secret of A Terminal Prognosis, http://j.mp/1mvmUwf « Grief Healing Blog

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 18 - May 24, 2014

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

Every Day Can Be A MemorialDay, http://j.mp/1vY1jiY « GriefMinisterdotcom

Was Your Relationship 'Good' Enough to Warrant So Much Grief? http://j.mp/1ofIgi8 « Megan Devine

Supporting Someone Who’s Grieving, http://j.mp/1nk1dR4 « Alive in Memory

Coping with Pet Loss, May 18 - May 24, 2014

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

Helping grandchildren with pet loss, http://j.mp/1k4snmX « GRAND Magazine

Life after Death: Should I get another dog? http://j.mp/1odnwYe « Ashley Davis Bush, LICSW

Pet Loss: Is It A Different Kind of Grief? http://j.mp/1lELExW « Grief Healing Blog
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Monday, May 19, 2014

Pet Loss: Is It A Different Kind of Grief?

[Reviewed and updated May 25, 2024]

The difference between friends and pets is that friends we allow into our company, pets we allow into our solitude.  ~ Robert Brault

As one who for many years has supported bereaved animal lovers as well as people mourning the loss of human loved ones, I’m often asked how losing a pet might differ from losing a person. Is the grieving process any different, and if so, how?

Having worked as a grief counselor with both kinds of loss, and having experienced both kinds of loss myself, I can say without reservation that the grief that accompanies pet loss is no different from that of losing a cherished friend or special member of the family. As I often tell my clients, love is love, loss is loss, and pain is pain. Grief is a natural, spontaneous response to the loss of someone dearly loved. Without a doubt, the loss of a loved animal companion and the feelings associated with that loss are real, and they deserve a time of grief, mourning and healing.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Caregiving and Hospice, May 11 - May 17, 2014

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

7 life lessons [for men] from hospice workers, http://j.mp/QQYrUj « Men's Health

Building Outrage: Mad as Hell—and Then What? http://j.mp/1sBkPgN « MediCaring.org

Watch the short film to find out how ehospice improves access to quality palliative care worldwide, http://youtu.be/sD4IspE3NpI « YouTube

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 11 - May 17, 2014

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

Reflections on 'Mother,' http://j.mp/1nSxUVd « What's Your Grief?

The Challenges of Raising Children after the Death of a Child, http://j.mp/1lwN24r « Alive in Memory

I Lost My Daughter and I Lost Hope, Until I Faced My Grief, http://j.mp/1gIAR35 « Everyday Health

Coping with Pet Loss, May 11 - May 17, 2014

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

Planning for the end of your dog’s life - the difficult questions, http://j.mp/1jFFtGW « ThatMutt.com

5 Ways to Help Yourself (and Others) through Pet Loss, http://j.mp/1jnEZoY « Veterinary Wisdom Professionals
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Monday, May 12, 2014

Death of a Parent: Negative Impact On A Couple’s Relationship

[Reviewed and updated September 5, 2024]

The death of a mother is the first sorrow wept without her.  
~ Unknown

A reader writes: I've been with my fiance for almost two years. His mother passed away unexpectedly nine months ago, and he was the one to find her. I understand this is a significant emotional struggle for anyone. I've tried to be there for him as much as possible, but any time he loses his temper, it's usually taken out on me.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Caregiving and Hospice, May 4 - May 10, 2014

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

Celebrating GeriPal Nurse Scientists During National Nurses Week  http://j.mp/1iBvXEx « GeriPal

The Truth About Hope, http://j.mp/1majCwT  The Unprepared Caregiver

The Day I Started Lying to Ruth: Cancer Doctor Peter Bach on Losing His Wife to Cancer, http://j.mp/Qi1GDX « New York Magazine

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 4 - May 10, 2014

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

Karen Taylor Good's Song: Gone From My Sight, http://j.mp/SLR5Dr « Broadjam

Brilliant! Celebrating Me on Mother's Day and How I Became A Father, http://j.mp/1iyJD3g « The Widdahood

Do I Say Anything? A Guide for Friends of Those Who Are Grieving,  http://j.mp/1l1YYxN « ThurstonTalk.com

Coping with Pet Loss, May 4 - May 10, 2014

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

Veterinary Hospice: Lap of Love, Dr. Mary Gardner, http://j.mp/Qa9h7j « Steve Dale's Pet World
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Monday, May 5, 2014

When Mother’s Day Hurts: Selected Resources

Source
[Reviewed and updated May 1, 2022]

God could not be everywhere, and therefore He made mothers ~ Rudyard Kipling

While it may be a special day for many, Mother's Day is a holiday that challenges the endurance of motherless children, as well as mothers and grandmothers whose children or grandchildren have died. Below is a collection of articles offering insights, comfort and support, as well as various ways to cope. Click on the titles to read more:

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Caregiving and Hospice, April 27 - May 3, 2014

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

Give your family the gift of making your own decision, http://j.mp/1mlO89C « Caring with Confidence

Terrific! Everything I Need to Know about Twitter I Learned from Hospice, http://j.mp/1iLdIMF « Social in DC

Are you listening, docs? The Health-Care System Is So Broken, It’s Time for Doctors to Strike, http://j.mp/R7nvqm « The Daily Beast

Understanding and Managing Grief, April 27 - May 3, 2014

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

The Physical Side of Grief, http://j.mp/1ujNGd3 « Alive in Memory

One stop shopping! A Wedding Guide For Grievers: tips for remembering and coping http://j.mp/1lDi91O « What's Your Grief?

It’s Not My Fault! Grief and the fear of failure, http://j.mp/1s2YlXp « It's OK to Die

Coping with Pet Loss, April 27 - May 3, 2014

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

Pet owners increasingly choose hospice care for their furry family members, http://j.mp/1foURN2 « WGMB, Baton Rouge

What a stupid world, pic.twitter.com/Pd901s4G3R « What's Your Grief?

Pet Loss: Guilt in the Wake of the Euthanasia Decision, http://j.mp/1kcDpsl « Grief Healing Blog