-
Is Halloween Happy?
It’s October and Halloween is approaching. Therefore you will see signs and hear people say Happy Halloween! But it’s not a Happy Halloween for many. Especially if you have lost loved ones to suicide. In fact in can be a trigger to bring back a horrible memory of the tragedy you experienced. Or you may…
-
How to help yourself through grief
FOR GRIEVERS Grief is so powerful that people sometimes look for ways to go around it rather than experience it. This doesn’t work. The best thing you can do for yourself is to work through grief and express your feelings. The following are specific ways to help yourself work through grief. Take care of your…
-
Reminiscing – does it hurt, or does it heal?
How often have people tried to console you after losing your loved one with the cliché, “Thank God you have your memories?” My memories were my worst nightmare! They were a constant reminder of my loss. They brought me no consolation. Yet, for others they browse through pictures and videos reliving precious moments. Each of…
-
I Don’t Want to Heal!
Are you floating in a sea of grief with only a life vest of memories keeping you afloat? If you are not careful, that life vest can become a heavy weight of anger, regrets, and fear that drags you down into depression. Grief during the early stages can be physically and mentally painful to the…
-
How Long Does Grief Last? Hint: It’s A Journey
It’s a common question posed by those of us who have suffered a loss. It’s our attempt to understand or attach meaning to something unfathomable. In my case, I lost my spouse; it makes no sense, and I need to understand how I can deal with the unbearable pain that has broken my heart. In…
-
HEAD-BASED VS. HEART-BASED
David Knapp One of the potential grieving methods I found could be called “head-based vs. heart-based” grieving. The head-based part would be when I used simple logic to deal with my loss. “She’s in a better place.” “I am strong and can get through this.” “I know things will get better for me.” The use…
-
LOVE HURTS
Most of us over 50 remember the popular song, Love Hurts, written by Boudleaux Bryant and sung by Roy Orbison, Nazareth, Everly Brothers, and many others. The first lyrics, though written for the pain of young love, apply equally to the pain we feel when our wives pass: Love hurtsLove scarsLove wounds and marksAny…
-
You must open yourself up again if you ever want to heal.
One of my favorite tv shows is NCIS. I love the characters, the plot lines, and the exciting stories they investigate. Obviously, it’s a show that deals with death in every episode, but it’s also a show in which the main characters learn to deal with personal tragedy and how to deal with grief. In…
-
Selflessness
One of our brothers, Randy Ritua, recently posted a story initially posted by Teresa Presgraves Jones about her father suddenly losing his wife of 55 years. Like all of us, he was shattered. Shortly after her funeral, late one night, he insisted his grown kids take him to the cemetery immediately. Reluctantly they agreed. It…
-
Does time really heal all wounds?
As a child, I remember the first time I went to a wake service with my mother for a neighbor who had passed away. I remember being so frightened as I walked into the funeral chapel. I vividly recall so many people crying and feeling as though I would somehow get swallowed up by the…
Widowers Support Network 