Dealing with Grief and Fears

When an acquaintance, Michael, shared with me that he had lost his job at a small law firm, it opened a new level of communication between us. We talked about his new situation and he told me he was very appreciative of having my ear…

When someone in your life circle passes away, everyone in that circle feels the heaviness of grief in one way or another. It’s hard to know what to say to relatives, friends, or even acquaintances as they experience deep grief and loss…

I’ve heard many times that aging is about loss, and I don’t disagree. But I would offer that it’s also about hard-earned gains – which are often the result of those losses. It’s true that with time life throws us curveballs…

My husband passed away three years ago and learning to live alone at 74, for the first time in my life, was a daunting task. Besides dealing with the deafening silence and loneliness, my biggest fears were getting sick or losing my mobility. How would I cope?

At various points we all go through challenges that necessitate rebuilding. Perhaps a divorce, an illness, a major life transition like retirement, the death of a loved one. These and many more require healing and recovering.

As a stay-at-home mom, I used to dread meeting new people at social events. After initial pleasantries, so often the exchange would come to an awkward, grinding halt when they asked me…

As a hospice volunteer, one of the many things I’ve come to understand is that everyone faces serious illness and the prospect of death differently. There’s simply no “right way” or “wrong way” to approach it…

There is no aspect of funeral service as misunderstood as cremation. The biggest misconception is that cremation precludes any and all funeral services. Nothing could be further from the truth…

Berenice looked horrified. In the group I was running, she was coming to terms with the idea that she really needed to speak to her parents about the fact they were coming towards the end of their lives…

There is no gentle way to say this: My husband and I lost three special friends within a two-week period. Their ages: 83, 72, and 65. Two had health issues, but their deaths were nevertheless unexpected…