Words for the Journey

Most people feel compelled to try to fix what is wrong when their loved ones are hurting. Their love and concern for them drives them to act, to “do” something.Concerned loved ones cannot resist the temptation to speak into the griever’s situation and recite platitudes, scripture verses that come to mind which seem appropriate at the time, to offer opinions – to fix it.

As my head lies upon a pillowAnd my body starts it’s restMy Soul know’s, soon you’ll be at my sideFrom Heaven my dreams will be BlessedIn life I long to hear your voiceI miss your warm loving embraceI want to touch you with my handsIf only I could see your faceBut in my dreams I have you with meYou walk beside me as we speak

Eight years have passed since my daughter died. Helen was born on Thanksgiving Day, so this holiday is painful for me. Christmas is painful too because it was Helen’s favorite holiday. Three other family members died the same year and I miss them all. To keep myself from sliding backward on the recovery path, I assemble a Grief Survival Kit. Here are the components.

Today I drove past my daughter's High School, the Dairy Queen we used to make late night ice cream runs to, and the condo where she died while I slept soundly in the next room. The tears gushed even as I fought them back. I sobbed over my steering wheel like I sometimes do when I travel down this road. Yet rather than avoid it, I make myself go down this terrible street. Why?

Holidays can be naturally hard. When you’ve lost someone, special days can seem impossible.“I’m scared. It’s like I’m frozen and can’t move. How am I going to face our anniversary without him?” said Tina, whose husband Frank died.“When I look ahead to Father’s Day, all I can think about is him,” said Jeff, who lost his father.

Mary Lee Robinson, author of The Widow or Widower Next Door, is excited to announce her community initiative entitled "Set an Extra Plate". The conce

There are habits that one may take on in life that are simple such as coffee in the morning, a glass of wine in every evening, my very personal favorite is a Diet Coke with 2 straws. Whatever our daily routines, these are the things that tend to be constants in our day. They don't necessarily affect our Health and they make us Happy or "Calm our stresses".

God put Angel Wings Upon youFor he had to call you homeWe didn’t see this day was comingOh, how I wish we could have knownI would have wrapped my arms around youI would have never let you goI would have kissed your face so softlyI Love you more than you could knowYou have touched my life in ways

Accidental Insight

"When you have lost a child"Takes more to breathe deepTakes more to reach outTakes more to hold onTakes more to let goTakes more to releaseTakes more to believeTakes more to understand"When you have lost a child"

I have been unable to write for a while. I need to tell you why, but I am not sure where to start for this 'stage' of my life has come as a shock to me. By the time I am done, I hope you will understand what I've said, the meaning of this 'new' development in this quest to survive grief.

 CynicismDominick Parisi