My reflections today: 10 people could tell me I am doing a good job and that they are proud of my single mothering and widowing, but those 10 never come close to filling that longing in my heart to hear ...
Grief waves sure are tricky little suckers. They really can sneak up on you out of the blue, sometimes out of absolutely nowhere. It's been a while since one has taken me out at the knees, but I don't expect ...
Permanent scarring of the skin. Telling stories of past experiences. Reading mottos, verses, and lyrics that touch our heart deeply. We become walking talking historical monuments of our own narrative. When grief strikes our lives, it can have the same ...
Feelings about "suicide awareness" and "suicide prevention" are generally mixed. Some support the movement wholeheartedly, while others think it's a joke. When I've spoken about suicide awareness/prevention in the past, at least half of the comments received will be about ...
In the early months and years, I found myself spinning around in a whirlpool of anxiety, fear, sorrow, and depression. In a word, grief. Some days I felt okay, like “I’ve finally got this.” I enjoyed time with friends and ...
Riley, Lizzy, Ashley, Sonney, and JD on a camping trip at Sue-meg State Park. Photo Credit: Penelope Ray, 2008 It was 2008 when we found them. JD and I were particularly broke that year after losing our home in the ...
It's not that I enjoy making people uncomfortable but I can't stop saying your name. To people around me, outside of the bubble, you were a nothing that became a something and are now a nothing again. To ...
TW: Suicide method Very early on, after Bret died, I couldn't dream about him. I couldn't feel his presence at all. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to dream about him--I knew that when I'd wake up the next ...
Cause and effect. A concept that can have deep philosophical roots or a surface level fundamental basis. When something as tremendous as a spouse passing away happens, we often want to point fingers. Why did this happen? Who made this ...
10 Unexpected Things Grief Has Taught Me. 1) People say surprisingly hurtful things to grieving people, even those closest to you. Many will never apologize because they don’t even realize they offended you. 2) You may have been compassionate before ...