My Wish for You This Christmas

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love. ~ Hamilton Wright Mabie

Every time a hand 
reaches out
to help another ~
that is Christmas.

Understanding and Managing Grief, September 24 - September 30, 2023

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

As long as we love, we are going to grieve, and as long as we grieve, we are going to need support. Though it was on-trend for half a century, mourning attire has now been out of fashion even longer. Black is the customary color of mourning in the U.S., but wearing all black doesn’t infer what it did. Why Grief Is Ready for Its Renaissance Era « Psychology Today

Understanding and Managing Grief, August 27 - September 2, 2023

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

The early, dark days of grief can feel hopeless. Others will hold out the hope of waning pain for you, since that can be hard to imagine. Because we can't change what has happened, hope must focus on the future. Finding Hope in Grief « « Psychology Today

Finding Joy in Grief?

[Reviewed and updated February 2, 2025]

For we have shared many griefs, but they are translated into pure love and rejoicing when we meet. ~ May Sarton

A reader writes: I am reading a wonderful little book Healing After Loss by Martha Whitmore Hickman and I have a question for you. I have found this book of daily readings to be of great comfort to me. It has helped me survive one day at a time. Like the daily book readings, some days are better than others. I find that some readings are very difficult for me to comprehend. Overall, I can still recommend the book, but it is not perfect! 

Understanding and Managing Grief, June 25 - July 1, 2023

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

"Am I mentally ill? I've been told I am manic, a spoiled rotten brat and have dependent personality disorder." In Grief: Emotional Immaturity, or PTSD? « Grief Healing

Clinical experience, empirical evidence, and common sense all point to the oft-noted truism in serious illness and loss that was summarized in my friend Jim Kok’s book, now in its third edition, 90% of Helping is Just Showing Up. "Being There" is Invaluable: The Role of Presence After Loss « Grief Perspectives

Voices of Experience: Helping Children Find the Light

It isn’t easy to accept what we can’t understand. But one thing I know to be true is that light always follows the dark. ~The Wolf’s Curse

We all wish we could protect children from the harsh realities of life, but if it’s one thing the last two years have made clear, it’s that we can’t. What we can do is give kids a safe space to process and name their feelings, and books are often the perfect way to do that. Author Jessica Vitalis reinvents Grim Reaper mythology in her middle grade novel The Wolf’s Curse. The story is narrated by a snarky wolf searching for someone in a highly superstitious fishing village to take her (yes, her!) job. But underneath the fantastical worldbuilding is a story that is honest and accessible; rather than shying away from the difficult emotions experienced by those who are grieving, the author embraces them in a story that opens the door to conversations about grief, tradition, the afterlife, and most importantly, about hope and healing. The following excerpt is reprinted with the author's permission.

Voices of Experience: At Heaven's Door

My lifetime of experiences and my scholarly research suggest that what awaits us at the end of this life is awesome, glorious, and loving, a reminder that there are gifts to be found at every stage of life, including its end.  ~ William J. Peters

In 2000, end-of-life therapist William Peters was volunteering at the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco when he had an extraordinary experience as he was reading aloud to a patient: he suddenly felt himself floating in midair, completely out of his body. The patient, who was also aloft, looked at him and smiled. The next moment, Peters felt himself return to his body…but the patient never regained consciousness and died. Perplexed and stunned by what had happened, Peters began searching for other people who’d shared similar experiences.

Understanding and Managing Grief & Pet Loss, December 20 - December 31, 2021

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

Following 2020, this year was another tough year for many people navigating the pandemic, especially those who lost a friend or family member to COVID-19. The four "Rs' to dealing with grief and finding hope in 2022 « abc 15 Arizona

Research shows how much our furry friends can change us for the better. Losing Our Pets: How We Grow From Grief  « Psychology Today

Understanding and Managing Grief, October 3 - October 9, 2021

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

Well after the intense grief of an immediate loss has faded, and you think you’ve moved on, something happens out of the blue to revive it. Coping with grief triggers « IOL

Understanding and Managing Grief, April 4 - April 10, 2021

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

If we know someone who has lost a loved one – and especially if they were not able to have a funeral or a memorial for that person as a result of COVID-19 – we need to reach out to them, let them know we are thinking about them, and be present for them during their pain and loss.  Op-Ed: After Death, Grief Shared Is Grief Diminished « MedPage Today

Caregiving & Grief Tweets, September 1 - September 7, 2019

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

Aid in Dying: A Podcast with Lewis Cohen https://j.mp/2ZFyiAh « GeriPal

Facing Loss: When Hope and Grief Co-Exist, https://j.mp/2HO4OFv « What's Your Grief?

A thank you from doctors to nurses, https://j.mp/2HNPzMM « Kevin MD

Caregiving and Hospice, November 25 - December 1, 2018

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

How to Help Patients at the End of Life and Their Loved Ones During the Holidays, http://j.mp/2KJla2q « Oncology Nurse Advisor

Loved ones with health-care decision-making power often over-confident, http://j.mp/2KEYn7X « Reuters

The Role of Hope, Compassion, and Uncertainty in Physicians’ Reluctance to Initiate Palliative Care, http://j.mp/2KDRN1x « AMA Journal of Ethics

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, September 9 - September 15, 2018

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

It is a scary thing to fall in love again after loss, https://tinyurl.com/y8jrlrzj « Second Firsts

Book Review: "The Cremation of Sam McGee" by Robert Service,  http://j.mp/2MpQzWV « Seven Ponds Blog

Terminally Ill Father "Walks" Daughter Down The Wedding Aisle, http://j.mp/2MvizIv « Seven Ponds Blog

Caregiving and Hospice, July 1 - July 7, 2018

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

9 Ways to Soothe Someone With Dementia Who Wants to Go Home, http://j.mp/2ucxYq2 « Caring.com

Lizzy Miles: "A conspiracy of Hope" is educational for consumers and outlines the difficulties medical professionals have w/ being open and honest. LOVE that author recommends palliative care. http://j.mp/2zjaaXy « Men's Health

Be Your Brother’s Keeper, http://j.mp/2tWjB9Z « Second Firsts

Caregiving and Hospice, April 1 - April 7, 2018

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

Priceless: What happens when a patient says, 'Doc, help me die,' http://j.mp/2Hjfk6i « CNN

The Gift of Hospicare Support for Patients and Families,  http://j.mp/2HjmpU4 « Hospicare

The Five Wishes Living Will Makes End of Life Easier, http://j.mp/2HdQsNc « DailyCaring

Understanding and Managing Grief, October 15 - October 21, 2017

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

Why Do Friendships Change After a Significant Loss? http://j.mp/2guyTvQ «The 5 Facets

Finding the Safe, Helpful People We Need, http://j.mp/2gu03q8 « The Grief Toolbox

Coping With What You Can't Control, http://j.mp/2gvNVVv « Psych Central

Understanding and Managing Grief, October 8 - October 14, 2017

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

In grief: A Glimmer of Hope, http://j.mp/2ghEPf9 « HuffPost

What *should* you say when someone dies? http://j.mp/2ggveVK « Refuge In Grief

7 Years Later, http://j.mp/2fWHQxD « The Grief Toolbox

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, September 3 - September 9, 2017

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

Are you grieving "for" a not so nice person? See "What's In A Preposition? A Grammar for Grieving," http://j.mp/2xcgwFv « Offbeat Compassion

Finding Hope Again, http://j.mp/2eMkcDo « The Grief Toolbox

Romance May Not Be the Answer after Loss, http://j.mp/2eM81Xi « Second Firsts

Understanding and Managing Grief, June 11 - June 17, 2017

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

Heidi Horsley on Sibling Loss: "Finding Hope and Transforming My Life,” http://j.mp/2tz25Gu « OptionB

A Funeral Sermon for My Friend Who Committed Suicide, http://j.mp/2sy4nIG « CCC Discover

Coping with Grief on Father’s Day: Selected Resources, http://j.mp/1tlWtPh « Grief Healing

Understanding and Managing Grief, May 28 - June 3, 2017

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

Grief Healing: Finding a Place of Hope - Interview, http://bit.ly/2rKV4p4 « Open To Hope

The Surprising Truth About Ritual and Grief, http://bit.ly/2rv88Ov « What's Your Grief?

Traumatic Loss: Needing To View The Body, http://bit.ly/2rfaGjq « 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.