Let’s face it. There’s no manual for how to show up for someone who’s grieving. While a comfortable wish, this simply isn’t the case. Grief is messy and complicated, as well as downright uncomfortable to sit in. And the tendency to want to avoid the pain associated with grief is human and understandable. At the […]
Losing a furry friend can lead to intense grief and sorrow. Unfortunately, I know this truth all too well. Summer 2017 struck another emotional blow as I made the decision to euthanize my beloved Beagle, Hunter. He’d been my constant companion for 15.5 years, having relocated twice across the country. As I faced health challenges, […]
How do you respond when every item stares back at you? The morning my mom died, my brother and I stood in her living room in shock and disbelief. Just two hours prior, in the wee hours of the morning, my mom peacefully passed away in her bed alongside me and my brother. It was […]
Why doesn’t he get it? This is a question I’ve occasionally asked throughout the past couple of years as I’ve grieved the death of my dad. The ‘he’ I’m referring to is my fiancé, David. Just before the official announcement of the global pandemic in March 2020, my adventurous, Harley Davidson riding dad died suddenly […]
What do you do when grief holds hands with joy? It’s a question I’ve wrestled with this week, related to Thanksgiving festivities. Let me explain. My brothers, boyfriend, and I decided to spend the holiday with my maternal aunts and friends, each of whom we deeply adore. The problem, however, is that the location of […]
What happens when grief doesn’t match? Following my mom’s death in 2012, my already tiny family was one person smaller. Left to manage her affairs, my brother and I were my mom’s sole surviving children. Years prior to her death, my parents had divorced, resulting in our family becoming two teams of three versus four. […]
Fanning love’s flame while grieving, though potentially beneficial, is exhausting. Trust me, I know. Just 6 years after my mom’s death, a year and a half after my Beagle’s passing, and 4 years into my transition to a new state, I met David. The year, 2018. Little did I know that just a year and […]
Have you ever considered the role of the 5 love languages in grief? Equally as important, are you even aware of the love languages? If not, let me offer a bit of context. Dr. Gary Chapman outlined five primary ways people feel cared for in his landmark book, “The Five Love Languages.” Here’s a link […]
Have you ever considered the impact of grief on relationships in your life? Remember being a kid and pinky swearing? Sometimes, it represented a guarantee of secrecy between friends. The pinky swear not only signified togetherness in the moment, but also a forever bond. While I often equated this to childhood, as an adult, I […]
Let’s face it. Showing up for someone who’s grieving isn’t easy by any means. Grief is messy and complicated, as well as downright uncomfortable to sit in. The tendency to want to avoid the pain associated with grief is human and understandable. At the same time, doing so can create a situation in which the […]
