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Into the Arms of the Lord
A friend and former colleague off mine texted me on yesterday (Tuesday) and said that they were calling hospice for her mom. I was out and about, and missed the first text by about an hour. This Wednesday morning, a second text alerted me that she had passed away earlier in the morning. “Mom slipped quietly into the arms of the Lord early this morning. She is at peace.” I knew her mother lived back in her hometown, about an hour from where my friend lived. She was elderly and had been battling dementia for many years. My friend’s sister had been the primary caretaker since their dad passed away…
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The Secrets Our Journals Keep
I picked up one of my old journals today for the purpose of looking for something specific that I’d written over 10 years ago. I’ve hung on to every journal notebook I’ve filled, perhaps as far back as high school, though their locations vary. I wish I’d been better organized all those years ago, and included a table of content, of sorts, so I’d remember what was in which journal. One of my nieces recently turned me on to something called “bullet journaling,” which I’m going to try with the next new journal I pick up. But this morning, as I continue work on my book, Was looking for something…
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The Healing Ministry of Presence
I saw this tweet last week from Rick Warren, a pastor, an author, and the father of a son who committed suicide several years ago. That had to be so hard for him, his wife and family, being a pastor of a large church, a best-selling author of several books, including The Purpose Driven Life, and in the public spotlight for a number of reasons; beyond just the Church community. Grieving the loss of a loved one is hard enough, for anyone. But having to do it in a fishbowl of onlookers, had to be hard. That said, I will admit that I was one of the onlookers, not just…
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The Promise of America the Beautiful
"This July 4th I won't be celebrating my country as it is today - I will celebrate the hope, promise, and potential that it embodies. I'll take a break from mourning the country it is not, but should be: where your zip code doesn't determine your health outcomes, your skin color doesn't determine whether strangers give you the benefit of the doubt..."
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Grieving the Life We Live
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines grief in several ways. We are all most familiar when people talk about the grief that follows the death of a loved one; defined here as a “deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement.” But there are elements of grief that many of us suffer through that has nothing to do with losing someone. In another definition grief is defined as a “keen mental suffering or distress over affliction or loss; sharp sorrow; painful regret.” This one to me is a better example of what I think many of us suffer with. There is the obvious pain, sorrow, and suffering that comes from…
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The Bittersweet Grief in Celebrations and Special Occasions
As I sat in the audience watching my oldest nephew being pinned during his promotion ceremony, I couldn’t help but think about how proud my parents; especially my dad, would have been of him. My dad served over 20 years in the US Army; including three tours in two different wars. Growing up on a military base, and later settling just outside of one at his retirement, was the only pre-adult life I knew. I had several family members who became a part of the military service. Both of my brothers entered the Army right out of high school, with one making it a career choice, just as my dad…
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Praise to the God of All Comfort
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
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Can You Find “Good” in Your Grief?
I grieved his death, but in some ways, perhaps, resented it as well.
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The Masks We Wear
I’ve been thinking a lot about the events of the past week; especially in light of the nature of this blog. Grief is for real! And it can come from many different areas and display in people in many different ways. It’s obvious from the nature of the media coverage, that the fashion and entertainment industries, including many journalists, are trying to come to grips with the loss of two prominent people in less than a week. Grief following the death of a loved one is hard. Trying to figure out the why, when someone takes their own life, is even more difficult. There’s been several reoccurring things I’ve heard…
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National Suicide Prevention – Call 1-800-273-8255!
I hesitated posting anything earlier this week in the aftermath of hearing about Kate Spade’s death. It was hard enough to hear about someone my own age, dying, but to learn that it was a suicide was even harder to take. I’m also not a therapist or a mental health counselor, and so I didn’t want to carelessly write something that might upset someone, or trigger a negative response. But this morning, I woke up to the early sounds of text messages coming from family and friends wishing me a Happy Birthday. And just five minutes after I was fully awake, yet still debating whether I really wanted to actually…
