Dealing with Grief and Fears

Many Baby Boomers have parents living into their 80s and 90s, and often these elderly individuals are in need of support from family as they have limited resources…
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Marisa, a client, contacted me with an urgent tone in her voice. “Should I get funeral insurance? I really want to sort my funeral out, but this is a big stumbling block for me…
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I recently poured out my heart to a colleague about my guilt at two condolence notes left unwritten. One note was intended for a colleague whose sister had died, though I’d heard about the death long after the funeral had taken place…
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The loss of a mother at a rather early age was very traumatic. At 17, this is the time you need love, guidance and direction about life and you do not know who to trust. So you must learn to trust yourself and your instincts and in your life decisions – good, bad, right or wrong…
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“What shall I say?” asked Howard, obviously uncomfortable about telling his 7- and 9-year-old that their grandfather had just died. They had only seen him the other day…
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I’m mourning my beloved sixth grade teacher, Mr. Ryshavy. In 1960, he was a young, creative, and caring instructor, and every single member of our class adored him…
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Let’s face it – funerals are the parties no one wants to plan. And most people only interact with funeral directors at funerals when they are appropriately solicitous, supportive and somber. Read More

Death and dying do not make for a jolly subject of any conversation, but it is part of life. And none of us is getting any younger. Is death or dying something you think about very much?
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In recent conversations with about 50 women who were widowed suddenly, I asked, “What do you wish you had known?” One of the most common answers was…
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This is a photo I took of my parents’ joint funeral.

Unbelievably, they both died in the same week, in their sleep, aged 86 and 84. My dad had had a stroke a year previously and hadn’t been doing too well, so it wasn’t entirely unexpected when I got a phone call one morning saying he hadn’t woken up. Read More