What The Tree Left Behind - Part Two

By Benjamin Tousley, on behalf of his beloved dog Bear, in whose voice this piece is written.

Eventually the storm moved on. The roaring softened to ordinary wind. The electricity returned. With my Man breathing steadily beside me and the world no longer trying to tear itself apart, I finally slept.

The next morning he made coffee.

Of course he did.

Apparently even natural disasters must wait until after coffee.

What The Tree Left Behind - Part One

By Benjamin Tousley, on behalf of his beloved dog Bear, in whose canine voice this piece is written.

I recently learned there are many different ways to lose something.

Before this, I suppose I thought loss was fairly simple. Something was there, and then it wasn't. A person walks through a door and doesn't come back. A toy disappears beneath a piece of furniture and is apparently lost forever because humans lack both the determination and the proper body shape to retrieve it. A squirrel vanishes into the woods before I can adequately explain my position on territorial boundaries.

There. Gone. Loss.

Understanding and Managing Grief, October 2 - October 8, 2016

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

6 Vital Ways Dogs Make Life Better! http://j.mp/2dXW67q « The Huffington Post

Grief Before and After the Storm, http://bit.ly/2e9Yo6p « What to Say When Someone Dies

The 'O' Word that Hits Grievers—and What to Do about It, http://j.mp/2dP9u1f « Stunned By Grief