Mental Health Awareness

Throughout a week in October, many mental health providers and mental health advocates take time to raise awareness of mental health. This includes trying to normalize taking care of our mental health by taking time to go to therapy or finding other ways of self care. We try to tell people that it is okContinue reading “Mental Health Awareness”

Task Four: Embarking on A New Life

We are at the end of our four task series. If you have not had a chance to read about the other three, I would do that now. The fourth task of Worden’s Tasks of Mourning is to find an enduring connection with the deceased while embarking on a new life. At the beginning ofContinue reading “Task Four: Embarking on A New Life”

The First Tasks: Acceptance

There are many approaches that people have created to illustrate how people process grief.  Some talk about stages, some talk about steps, and one talks about tasks.  William Worden provides for us four tasks of grief in order to achieve equilibrium in our life again. These four tasks can be completed in the order theContinue reading “The First Tasks: Acceptance”

My Grand Baby Grand

“My mother bought it secondhand from a silent movie star It was out of tune but still I learned to play And with each note we both would smile forgetting who we are And all the pain would simply fly away” Well, my mother did not buy our piano second hand. In fact, it wasContinue reading “My Grand Baby Grand”

Back to School: A Guardian’s Guide to Helping a Grieving Child

As I discussed in my last blog post, my dad died on the fourth day of fourth grade.  I took days four through nine off from school and Monday I was expected to go back. “What? My dad just died. I’m not leaving my mom for 7 hours a day to just go to school.Continue reading “Back to School: A Guardian’s Guide to Helping a Grieving Child”

4th Day of Fourth Grade

In August 2000, I went back to school on August 4th.  It was a Thursday and my dad had been in the hospital for almost 10 months straight. At this point, he had suffered from two heart attacks and multiple organs had started to fail.  My mom and I were guessing his time left onContinue reading “4th Day of Fourth Grade”

The Keepsakes

Throughout our relationships with people, we hold onto little things. A movie stub from seeing a movie you both loved, pictures, or a special birthday card are just some of the small keepsakes we hold onto. When our loved one dies, we tend to put these items all in one place and tuck it away. OurContinue reading “The Keepsakes”

Halfway Through the Year

On Monday we reached our honorary halfway through the year mark.  On July 1 each year I tend to evaluate where I am in that year’s word and make an evaluation of what needs to happen the last six months of the year to reach my goals.  It is a tradition at the start ofContinue reading “Halfway Through the Year”

“Tidying Up” Your Grief

Marie Kondo has been one of the most influential people in our society in the past several years.  Not only does she have a book, but now she has a Netflix series that many have loved watching as they make their mountain of clothes and start to see whether their items spark joy or ifContinue reading ““Tidying Up” Your Grief”