Under the surface of a seemingly normal routine was a cloud of uncertainty and trepidation. We had a second opinion appointment on this day at 11:30 am with a local vet because of issues that had recently manifested with one of our cats, Nitske. Grief is not lessened just because the loved one is four-legged. Dave shares his loss and his approach to losing Nitske in this loving article.
Recent studies have revealed that nurses experience one of the highest rates of work-related stress among all professions, with over 60% of nurses stating that stress was a significant issue in their work lives. Workplace stress is prevalent in most high-stress, fast paced environments and can lead to significant illness; nurses are no exception to this risk.
Kim Colegrove is the founder of the PauseFirst Project, which offers Mindfulness for First Responders, and was founded in honor of her husband, Special Agent David M. Colegrove, who died by suicide in 2014. Kim learned the practice of transcendental meditation at the age of ten. After her husband’s death, Kim used her practice to cope with her own grief and loss. Now, with more than 40 years of practice under her belt, she is helping police, firefighters, EMS, paramedics, dispatchers, corrections officers, and other first responders cope with the daily stress and trauma of the job.
At the age of 38, Claire Hoffman became a widow when her husband experienced a drug overdose. A mother of one, Claire describes this event as having a butterfly effect over her entire world. In an effort to cope with the loss and gain wisdom and insight, Claire has gathered together grief experts from around the world for the Liberate Your Grief Spotcast, a 5 day event offering hope and healing to anyone who has experienced a major loss.
Who am I now? I rolled those four words through my mind frequently just after I lost my precious son and only child. I had been the father to an amazing young mentor who had changed the very core of who I was several times in his short sixteen years on earth. Then on a dreadful, tragic day, Jonathan’s fragile heart unexpectedly failed, and he took his final breath in my loving arms. Who am I now?
