Tag: grief is normal

This New Life

Grief has left me feeling lonely and adrift in the world. I am searching for the person I will be in this new phase of my life. With my parents’ death six months apart this year, I feel like I was hit with a one-two punch. I had barely lifted myself off the mat after…… Continue reading This New Life

When your heart is broken And you think that you can’t take one more heartache Bravery is not fighting dragons or being a superhero. It’s getting up every morning to face a new day. Showering and getting dressed. Eating Doing your job the best that you can. Crying as you drive, walk, sit, or whatever… Continue reading Bravery in the Face of Grief

Different Boat, Same Storm

Last week, I went to see the film “The Same Storm,” which was made during the pandemic, using Zoom as the actors filmed from their own homes. It revolves around the need for connection during the isolation and uncertainty in the spring and summer of 2020. The quote from a poem written by Damien Barr…… Continue reading Different Boat, Same Storm

Dis/Connected

There is a place that exists when the person you love dies. I see the world through a veil, Dis/Connected from the world around me. I’m physically present, but my being is somewhere else. I can see nature’s beauty and hear the birds singing, And yet, they feel like a distant reminder of life. There’s…… Continue reading Dis/Connected

Grief Triggers

My biggest trigger for grief is when I do everything right, but things go wrong. It seems to hit when I’m at my most vulnerable. It stirs up the sorrow that fills my heart and rips the stitches apart. I’m once again reminded that I only have control over what I put into the situation…… Continue reading Grief Triggers

Life Preservers

Grief is like being set adrift in a raging sea where I struggle to keep my head above water. I’m always looking for that life preserver to keep me from sinking. For me, that comes in books about grief by people who have lived that experience. Some are written by counselors, while others are memoirs.…… Continue reading Life Preservers

Processing Grief

I started taking a course on grief and photography by “What’s Your Grief.” One of the things that have been very hard to resume since my dad died was using my camera. Most pictures I have taken have been with my phone, which is okay, but it’s not the same. The two women who run…… Continue reading Processing Grief

Ghosts of Memories

Grandpa and Mike Ghosts are not scary specters but the presence of those we love who are no longer with us. I could feel them when I sat on the screened-in porch of the house I grew up in. The lower three sides were red brick, with the upper part screened in. During the time…… Continue reading Ghosts of Memories

Secondary Losses

Grief is complicated because it is not only the death of the person you love but also the secondary losses that come with death. Nothing prepares you for the excruciating pain that accompanies death. However, it’s the unexpected secondary losses that nobody really talks about. They include changes to finances, friendships, family relationships, identity, and…… Continue reading Secondary Losses

I’m Thinking…

A Moment of Joy From the Spring, 2022 I bought “Writing Down the Bones Deck” cards by Natalie Goldberg so I would have writing prompts when needed. Writing is a therapeutic way to express my feelings, especially when they are overwhelming. So this is the first prompt. What I’m thinking of is that it’s a…… Continue reading I’m Thinking…