Neil Beresin never set out to become a chaplain. In fact, he worked in the nonprofit world for 20 years. But everything changed for him when both his parents became ill and passed away within 5 weeks of each other. This devastating loss changed the trajectory of his life. Neil is now a chaplain and grief counselor who specializes in healing through poetry.
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.
Your grief journal will help you speak your truth without judgement, untangle confusing thoughts, honor your loved one, and explore your continuing narrative in your life after loss. Additionally, you can use a grief journal to continue your conversation with your loved one after their death. After all, the relationship you have never goes away—the
While grief is like a roller coaster, and rarely feels “normal,” most of us have the natural capacity to make it to the other side. Along the journey we will feel a myriad of uncomfortable, intrusive and most of all unwelcome sensations. The pain we feel as a result of losing someone we love seems unfair, but it is natural, and while the loss itself is permanent, the intensity of pain will subside.
When someone we love dies it is not uncommon to have moments where we expect them to return to us. We absentmindedly set the table for two, or pick up the ringing phone and expect it to be their voice on the other end of the line. While not everyone who grieves will experience this magical thinking, it may help to know that it is normal, at least for a period of time.
