Words for the Journey

OVERCOMING THE PAIN OF GRIEF

“When did they offer the roller-coaster training? Somehow I missed that,” Sally said.Sally’s husband Ron died a week prior. Once the arrangements were done and the funeral was over, grief hit her like a relentless tsunami.Grief does strange things to us. It buffets the heart and shakes the soul. It’s confusing and frustrating. We can be shocked by its depth and power. 

That's what we are... forever moms. One does not know a moms heartache unless they are a mom with that heartache. This does not mean that others losses are any less than a mothers, but it does mean that unless you are a mother you will not understand why, as a mom, we feel that our loss is more.

Missing you affects everything. My sleep,My dreams,My awake. My past,My today,My future. I’m living each day as best I canbecause I know you would want that. But life isn’t about just making it through a day.It is about being and feeling alive. 

Yes, I DO still talk to my husband

I have an Angel up in HeavenAnd that sweet Angel has a NameMy Angel watches me as I liveLife here without them isn’t the sameAs they watch down on me from HeavenI wonder what it is they seeDo they see me as I cry for themIf so, I don’t want that to beI hope that they can see me HappyI hope to always make them proud

Silence made my mother sick in fact I believe it killed my mother.I am 11 years old.  I come home from church school and my fathers clothes are spread out all over the lawn.The front door is wide open.  The Robins that usually greet me in the spring time have disappeared, even they know something is wrong.

A parent's worst time comes when a child is lost. The loss is horrible and the aftermath of self-evaluation of each parent can be a painful endeavor that can last for life in some cases.As a friend once told me, “Judy, everyone handles grief in their way.” For me, it was going to see my Doctor seek help with my grief.

I used to think that just because I criedI was weak and I hid behind my pride

As I write this, two anniversaries are on my mind. One today -- one tomorrow.  It was eighteen years ago that I had the honor of giving my sister a kidney. Not an easy decision, but though there were challenges I didn't foresee, I am so grateful for the experience.

A recent summary report,* "Impact of Suicide on People Exposed to a Fatality," raises an alarm about negative effects some people bereaved by suicide suffer from their loss that go beyond their experience of grief. The report is available, below, to read or download. It delineates research evidence that substantiates two troubling facts: