It’s difficult to return to normal life after losing a loved one. Even getting out of bed, eating and sleeping can be a challenge. If you’re unable to sleep well after the death of a loved one, try the following tips.
If we are 100% honest, I believe all of us who have become Suddenly Single will admit there were times — particularly in those first days and weeks when we were afraid. Maybe even terrified. The future seemed uncertain. More decisions had to be made than one single brain could handle. If you think back … Read More
You have little say in how you feel and how you will experience grief (but) you do have choices about how to deal with those feelings. ~ Kenneth Doka. Grief is a Journey: Finding your path through Loss Kenneth Doka, a respected grief counsellor and author, states repeatedly that feeling sad, missing the presence of … Read More
Black. Black. Black. Stand at the entry point of any women’s wear store between the months of September and March and look side to side, front to back. Then, imagine that every black item of clothing in that store disappeared in a blink. What’s left? Not much. For most of my life I avoided wearing … Read More
To change yourself you have to move from where you are and take a step, then you have to be willing to keep doing it. ~ Brent M. Jones Whether the New Year is the first days and weeks of January, or the new year is the first days and weeks after the anniversary of … Read More
Dear Jerry, Well, hello again. Guess what I found? A letter I had written and somehow missed sending. My goodness, I am dropping the ball here. I promised you, with all good intentions, that I’d share some ideas with you for helping your mom and I start, and then get distracted by my own life. … Read More
If you have been online, or out and about, you will invariably have been bombarded with Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukah, Merry Christmas. And in just over a month, you will hear, once again, Happy New Years. We are heading into the season of celebration, consumption (shopping!),and family gatherings. And, for those who … Read More
Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live. ~Norman Cousins A significant part of the grieving process is a relearning/recreating of ourselves. Loss is often described as ‘shattering’, that is, as if we ourselves have shattered as truly as a dinner plate on a … Read More
“Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone and solitude expresses the glory of being alone.” — Paul Tillich Often after a loss we retreat into ourselves, we struggle with those around us who simply do not ‘get it’. Our friends and family want us to be better quickly and we can’t — so we avoid their … Read More
“Loss has taught me that the death of a spouse or partner affects every aspect of the day.” — Barbara R. Wheeler, DSW Barbara R. Wheeler, the author of this slim volume (so slim, I struggled to find it in the library’s hold section) spent her career teaching future clinical social workers. As a therapist … Read More
“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.” — Sue Monk Kidd One of my favourite phrases is Shakespeare’s “Give Sorrow Words”. Without words, heart ache is just that — ache, physical pain. But when we speak or write, we breath life into … Read More
Amy flinched at Carrie’s facial expression as Carrie walked toward her. One more friend. One more awkward exchange. One more “How are you doing?” or some other such question. If you’ve followed this blog or read anything in the area of grief and grieving you know that the grieving process is often referred to as … Read More
