Can you remember a time that you felt different when you were a child? Either through a learning disability or a loss of a family member or friend, we all have experienced times throughout our lives when we felt different. When you compound the feeling of being different with grief, the emotions can be overwhelming — especially for a child. Through her book, Jimmy, Toughest Dog Ever, author Sally Hill Mills takes us on a special journey through the eyes of Jimmy, who is experiencing both being different and experiencing loss.
It’s hard to feel like a superhero while amid tremendous grief. But through her work composing Superhero Grief: The Transformative Power of Loss, Dr. Jill Harrington shows us how we are more like superheroes than you might think. Each superhero that you can think of has experienced some level of trauma that they’ve had to overcome. While their superpower may seem more significant than yours, the motivation to stand up and put one foot in front of the other is the same, whether you can fly or not.
What I learned as a neophyte orphan building a log cabin in the wilderness and living there alone is relearned as a middle-aged woman living alone in a newly built modern house during a rampant pandemic. Orphaned at age fourteen 14, widowed at 58, my best friend and colleague dying a year later reignited a disciplined
Try out the meditation for grief and sadness offered at the end of this article to help you cope with the difficult emotions that arise in the wake of loss.When you are reeling from a significant loss, coping with difficult emotions like sadness, anger, and fear may seem like an impossible task. It is natural
If you have experienced the death of a loved one from the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic, the American Red Cross offers free support to help you through this difficult time. From spiritual care to help with planning virtual services, their Integrated Condolence Care Program is staffed by compassionate professionals and volunteers through their Virtual Family Assistance
Sharon Prentice shines a light on where your loved one goes after they die – based on her own experience – in her book Becoming Starlight, Surviving Grief and Mending The Wounds of Loss. She has visited the other side – not through a near death experience – but a shared death experience. In this episode of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, Dr. Prentice reveals her “peek into foreverness” that occurred at the precise moment of her husband’s death. She describes how this experienced impacted her grief over time, and how it informs her work with people who are dying in her role as a psychotherapist and spiritual counselor.
Pets are not just animals that live in our house, they are our chosen family. When they die it is heartbreaking because we love them so much! The key to surviving the death of our beloved cats and dogs is to first acknowledge that it hurts, and acknowledge that our grief is real and understandable. As with the loss of anyone we love, it is helpful to find ways to honor their memory and the imprint they leave on our heart.
A Presentation of the Association for Death Education & Counseling program ADEC In Conversation: COVID-19 With Jill Harrington, Isaiah Allen, and Heather StangMindfulness gives you permission to be however you are, and it gives you the tools you need to cope with however you are. (1:52)Most of us are no stranger to anxiety and fear during
If you have been blaming yourself for the death of your loved one, or feeling guilty that you didn’t do something you “should” have done, you are not alone. Whether your special person died by suicide, an overdose, long-term illness or suddenly, self-blame often appears. Guilt and shame are heavy burdens to bear, and add more suffering on top of our broken heart. Learn how to manage these difficult emotions in episode 31.
Dreams and sleep are understandably impacted as we all try to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Those of us who are already grieving carry an extra load of anxiety in addition to an already aching heart. In this episode, returning guest Dr. Joshua Black shares helpful insights that will empower us to take care of our emotional
