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
Regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas, celebrate a different holiday, or try your best to avoid celebrating at all during the weeks of late December/early January, the feeling in the air is that this has to be The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Even if it’s not. Even if the past year has been … 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
Dear Jerry, I thought about you often this week and wondered how you and your mom are doing. You popped into my head when I talked about secondary losses with a client and so I decided, as, I had some time today, to write and explain what that means. You may not have heard of secondary losses before — I … 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
Dear Jerry, Oh my… I’m so sorry. I meant to write this letter last week but the time just got away on me. I know that’s not a great excuse but it’s the only one I have. As both your friend and a grief counsellor, I promised you I’d write out some thoughts every week … Read More
On a brisk September Saturday morning, I hurried downtown. My mission? The Word on the Street Festival, a yearly event hosted by the Lethbridge Public Library. I particularly wanted to hear Sharon Butala, having recently read her book Where I live Now: A Journey through Love and Loss to Healing and Hope — remembering my … Read More
