Dealing with Grief and Fears

Losing someone we love can be devastating. Our whole world seems to come to a standstill, while everything else keeps on moving. It can happen in an instant or may take years. It can be planned, unexpected, tragic, painful, or even a blessing…

Although I am not familiar with Christine Caine, an author and speaker focused on empowering women globally, I recently encountered a quote of hers that resonated with me deeply: “Sometimes when you’re in a dark place, you think you’ve been buried. But you’ve actually been planted.”

When I first received the news that I had lung cancer, I felt very sad. After several tests, we suspected it was probable, but I had remained hopeful that it could still be benign. Now, I had the answer. Just hearing the word malignant is scary enough, but then you must accept…

Whether it comes unexpectedly or after a long illness, losing a spouse is traumatic at best. At worst it can be debilitating. I know because, at age 35, I became a widow myself. While many people want to help, it can be difficult to know how…

I am usually a very reasonable person. I taught mathematics, for heaven’s sake, and that is the most logical science in the world! But I was afraid. It was such an irrational fear that I was embarrassed to admit it…

Twenty years of marriage is a milestone worth celebrating. My late husband, Tom, and I had grand plans – a dreamy Caribbean cruise, soaking in the sun, and the love we had built over two decades. “I’m the luckiest guy to have married you, Kathleen! And I’m gonna love you…

Loss comes in many forms. Some losses are tangible, like the passing of a loved one, while others are intangible – difficult to define and often harder to grieve. Ambiguous loss is one such experience: the profound sense of mourning for someone who is still alive. It’s a grief…

Beginning this new year, I had a short list of ideas and topics to record for a new round of videos for my “Aha Moments with Joanie” series. I had mentally prepared the first episode of 2025 around the subject of not letting small setbacks color…

The Silver Agony Aunt responds to these question: “How do you make sure assisted living is the best possible option for a loved one, and how can you overcome feeling regret over some decisions, even though you did the best you could at the time?”

At the end of every year, when my “valversary” rolls around, I’m grateful all over again. I had open-heart surgery for a mitral valve repair in December 2014, and the gratitude for good health ever since drives me to “pay it forward.” We all know the vast time…