Category: Grief

Dealing with grief

Saying Yes to Life

The pandemic curbed the 2020 Phoenix Film Festival until the fall of last year, with limited seating for films. The 2021 festival was pushed to August because of the continued outbreak, but remarkable events with more film seating, filmmakers, and fan enthusiasts made it a success. I emailed the festival offering to volunteer five years…… Continue reading Saying Yes to Life

Here Come Those Tears Again

Mike and me I spent the first three years working through the complicated emotions of Mike’s sudden death. It was painful to deal with all of the feelings: guilt, anger, sorrow, and I often didn’t know whether I was coming or going. It was exhausting, and I would have preferred to skip the whole process…… Continue reading Here Come Those Tears Again

The Second Year Is Harder

Copyright Jennifer Mullins In my second session of the hospice support group, a widower shared that as hard as the first year was, the second year was more challenging. It had only been five months since Mike had died, and the pain was so fresh. How could it be worse than this? The first year…… Continue reading The Second Year Is Harder

Being Present Instead of Tissues

Photo by Liza Summer on Pexels.com Seeing someone crying is hard because you know they are in pain. It is uncomfortable as well because there is a feeling of helplessness. We want to ease the suffering of the person we love, but sometimes that is impossible. There are no words to ease the pain of…… Continue reading Being Present Instead of Tissues

Grief Food: Oreos and Red Robin

I’ve been a baker since I was a little girl.  I always loved to do it because I could be creative with the recipes.  March 6, 2012, was the 100th anniversary of Oreo cookies, so we picked some up.  I hadn’t had them in ages, and they were a nice treat. When I was writing…… Continue reading Grief Food: Oreos and Red Robin

Finding a Place to Breathe

Copyright Jennifer Mullins I didn’t realize how shallow my breathing had become after Mike’s death until I found a place where I could breathe again. Grief is so physically oppressive.  It interrupted my sleep, made my body ache, caused me to suffer from anxiety, and kept me from catching my breath. I spent a night…… Continue reading Finding a Place to Breathe

45 Minutes

Copyright Jennifer Mullins At first, I never thought that I would stop crying.  The grief was overwhelming, and anything could trigger it. My dad had washed my towels, and S brought them to me.  They were rough and scratchy.  I sat on the bathroom floor and began to cry. That’s not how they were supposed…… Continue reading 45 Minutes