Closure vs. Healing

In literature about grief there are many meanings given to closure or getting over it or letting go.  In society and the general public – the meaning of these terms is even more vague and unclear.
It seems to me that the vague meaning of closure, letting go , and getting over it in our society [...]

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Unexpected Grief – Part Two

Don’t fear change, embrace it. ~ Anthony J. D’Angelo
In my last post, I talked about unexpected grief that occurs after we start to feel better and think, “well, maybe I’m over this…”  In that situation we’ve been grieving and that grief itself isn’t as unexpected as the length or timing of it.
The other form of [...]

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Unexpected Grief

Grief can pop up at times when we least expect it and send us reeling, waving our arms wildly to gain our balance again.  Or it can knock us on our ass trying desperately to catch our breath again. 
Unexpected grief tends to catch us off guard in two different ways.  The first happens some period [...]

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Time Heals All Wounds…Or Does It?

I’ve been hearing the phrase “Time Heals All Wounds” a lot lately.  This saying has always made me cringe just a little bit.  My issues with it is that while, yes, time is necessary to heal, time alone is not enough.
I don’t know where or when the phrase originated.  I don’t know the context in [...]

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5 Ways to Help Someone Who is Grieving

Friendship doubles our joy and divides our grief ~ Swedish Proverb
1. Tangible Support
The traditional way to help a grieving person or family is to bring food.  Now, I’m not normally one for doing something just because it’s tradition, but this is a good one.  Grief exhausts us, it impairs our memory and decision-making, and makes [...]

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