Showing posts with label Memorial Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Memorial Day. Show all posts

Remembering the Fallen, Honoring the Grieving

While Thanksgiving is about appreciation for what you got, Memorial Day is so much deeper. It's appreciation for those who died to give you what you got. ~Doug Koktavy

When I think of Memorial Day and what it means to me, I think of how blessed I am to live in this country, where freedom still rings, even though at times we may take some of our freedoms for granted. I think of the fallen soldiers who paid the ultimate price so that we might continue to live free. I also think of the families, friends, and loved ones of the fallen — the unsung heroes struggling to survive in the face of unspeakable loss. I cannot imagine the depth of their pain. I don’t know how to thank them for their sacrifice except to say that I am deeply grateful, and that I promise to remember them, holding each and every one of them in gentle thought and prayer.

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 1 - May 31, 2025

Best selections from Grief Healing's X feed this month:

For someone like Emilie, who has let millions into her life online, there's a false sense of intimacy. Fans feel like they know her. They want to comfort her. But in doing so, some cross a line. When comments shift from your pain to my fear, or my gratitude, they stop being about support and start being about self. And that's where well-meaning turns into harm. The six words no grieving mother wants to hear. « Mamamia

Memorial Day: Honoring Fallen Service Members and Their Families

[Reviewed and updated May 22, 2026]

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

Nearly four 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.

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 13 - May 25, 2024

Best selections from Grief Healing's X feed this week: 

Patrick passed away less than two weeks before his 21st birthday. He even had his party organised. Instead, the family had to say their final goodbyes before Patrick could experience this coming-of-age milestone. A father's grief: 'There's always an empty seat at the table' « The Impartial Reporter

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 28 - June 3, 2023

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

When someone you know and love tells you they have been diagnosed with cancer, it can feel like a scary and shocking surprise. How you respond to them can either make them feel worse, which is not the intention, of course, or it can make them feel comforted and supported.  Finding the Right Words: When Someone You Know is Diagnosed with Cancer « Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 21 - May 27, 2023

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

Children process grief differently from adults. The grief and sacrifice of a child who loses a parent in military combat are ongoing. Children can process the death of a soldier parent, but the realness and permanence may be hard to accept. Memorial Day: A Hidden Audience in Grief « Psychology Today

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 30 - June 5, 2021

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

Loneliness and isolation are a giant cause of suffering for grieving people. Try these five tips on how to cope with the loneliness of grief.  Five Ways to Manage Your Grief and Loneliness « Refuge In Grief

A core set of principles separate those who make good and bad policy decisions. Op-Ed: Will the Real COVID Experts Please Stand Up? « MedPage Today 

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 23 - May 29, 2021

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

We may not travel to Washington D.C. this Memorial Day, but we can take time to pause and remember, to honor the fallen in our own individual and personal ways, and most especially to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the precious members of their families who mourn their losses each and every day. Memorial Day « Grief Healing

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 16 - May 22, 2021

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

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. Making the Most of Memorial Day « Grief Healing

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 24 - May 30, 2020

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

Thanks for the kind review! "This reputable blog provides professional insight into the latest news on grief with a focus on the needs of professional and family caregivers. Grief Healing Blog’s professional insight is given by author and grief counselor Marty Tousley RN, MS, FT. She regularly features her responses to readers’ questions about grief in her blog posts." Blog Profiles: Grief Support Blogs « Beyond Bylines

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

Caregiving and Hospice, May 27 - June 2, 2018

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

Care for the caregivers in your life, http://j.mp/2xo833J « OptionB

Resources for Service Members and Their Families, http://j.mp/2INmK5v « Grief Healing

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.

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 20 - May 26, 2018

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

MemorialDay: The Story Of A Hero Son, A Dad's Grief And A Hit Song, http://j.mp/2INZ558 « Newsweek

The Need for Self-Compassion in Grief, http://j.mp/2ILeHWY « What's Your Grief ?

My Name is Grief, http://j.mp/2IMY60X  « Bryan C. Taylor

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 21 - May 27, 2017

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

Never Long Enough - A new book of comfort and hope amidst grief and loss, http://bit.ly/2rZjdFr « Read The Spirit

The Long Game After Loss, http://bit.ly/2rGMh7h « Christina Rasmussen

When We Blame Ourselves, http://bit.ly/2s3v7Nt « The Grief Toolbox

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 22 - May 28, 2016

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

Making the Most of Memorial Day, http://j.mp/22nSpdq « Grief Healing

A Light In the Dark - My Tribute to Soaring Spirits International, http://j.mp/1TJKjZe « Soaring Spirits International Blog

Brilliant: Pre-planning your Emotional Response to Death...Ain't it Precious? http://j.mp/1TJD182 « Soaring Spirits International Blog

A Special Memorial Day Offer


From Self-Healing Expressions, publisher of my online email courses:


This Memorial Day as we take time to pause, remember
and honor the fallen in our personal ways,
we also extend our heartfelt gratitude to the families
who mourn their losses each and every day.

For anyone struggling with grief this holiday weekend,
breathe and take gentle care.

Today Self-Healing Expressions is pleased to offer you
or anyone in your circle who might benefit,
this free ebook by Marty Tousley, grief counselor
and author/instructor of The First Year of Grief: Help for the Journey.
See if it might be of support.

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 17 - May 23, 2015

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

Elaine Stillwell: Thinking Positively, http://j.mp/1Llielo « Grief Digest Magazine

Picking Up the Scraps, http://j.mp/1BgNz39 « Widower's Grief

Book Review: The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages, http://j.mp/1JHy2Ap « Seven Ponds Blog

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 25 - May 31, 2014

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

Another kind of loss: Rob Lowe on sending his son off to college, http://j.mp/1nLiRLt « Slate

Terrific! Grief: No no no - No More Normal, http://j.mp/1mweSzC « Stop Thief: Don't Steal My Grief

Innovative use of music therapy: Turning Heartbeats of Dying Patients into Music,  http://j.mp/1mKpaxz  « ABC News

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

[Reviewed and updated May 22, 2026]

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

Tim McGraw’s Tribute to Our Troops:




Understanding and Managing Grief, May 26 - June 1, 2013

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

Excellent read! Understanding Traumatic Grief — Mass Violence, Shattered Lives http://j.mp/10HamGH « Social Work Today

Powerful story of friendship, grief in the wake of suicide, and lessons learned: I Should Have Been Finding Him Reasons To Live, http://j.mp/117r3ql « The Good Men Project

Pick of the Week: The Invisible String teaches ties that bind in grief, http://j.mp/13rCsnN « Advent Funeral

Updated May 31: Tips for Coping with Sleeplessness in Grief, http://j.mp/hkoXnZ « Grief Healing Blog

Grief Is Overflowing Love: A Mourning Son's Story, http://wp.me/p1l0Zh-hw « GriefMinister.com