“The talking stick, also called a speaker’s staff, is an instrument of aboriginal democracy used by many tribes, especially those of indigenous peoples of the
Tag: grief
Samaritans and Self-Determination ~ by The Secret Samaritan
This blog was supposed to be a habitat for my thoughts as a Samaritan. A berth for me to sometimes share the message of the Samaritans,
Top Note
When my husband died unexpectedly, a coworker took me under her wing. Every week for an entire year, she would send me a card saying
A Written Reply in a University Bathroom Stall
The photographer, of this amazing letter, wrote: “In a girls’ bathroom stall at my university, girls have written about some of their most horrifying life
Radiant (or how not to give a spider a bath)
It’s Wednesday night, just me and my 7 year-old daughter, and I’m having a hard time settling into the play time I promised earlier when
I Learned What it’s Like to be Loved and Accepted Unconditionally – By Meredith Hettler
I always knew what I wanted out of a relationship. Well, at least until I met you. If you asked me three years ago, I
The Old Hemming Ruler, The Empty House, and Grief – By Carmelene Melanie Siani
When a person dies, even members of the same family, experience their grief differently and this difference can cause more pain and more damage than
Eroding Into Beauty – By Mary Davenport
With the death of my Mom, my anxiety found new life. Like any parasite from a host, it crept into my veins and fed off
In Her Darkest Moment, a Stranger Handed a Grieving Mother an Envelope Which Read…”Open Me”
Today myself and my mum went to the new Asda (Supermarket) in Gillingham (UK), and while we were waiting outside I heard a “here you
This is 20 Years Too Late – (A Father’s Tragic Tale)
Hello everyone. This is a rather tragic story. It will not be suitable for light hearts. It’s my deepest, most darkest history, which led to
An Elderly Widower’s Note to His Deceased Wife Is the Best Thing You’ll Read on the Internet This Week
A touching story of an elderly widower coping with life alone after his wife of 62 years died last January went viral on Facebook. “So
The Lucky Ones: Surviving Loss – By Stephanie March
We all experience varying degrees of loss, nobody is immune. We lose pets, friends, and family. We lose relationships and marriages. We lose entire houses
On My Father’s Birthday: A Letter To The Man Who Killed Him – By Dawn Quyle Landau
Dear Sir, I don’t know your name, but you killed my father on June 9, 1973, in Stockton, California. My father was thirty-two years old
What Death has Taught Me About Living – By Skye Robertson-James
We’ve all heard the story of loss. We’re familiar with the stages of grief. Shock, anger, eventual acceptance. But what happens when this isn’t just an abstract process? When it’s real.
Lessons From the Worst Day Of My Life – By Gretchen Kelly
“And I know it aches and your heart it breaks and you can only take so much…. Walk on.” -U2, Walk On It was my
The Day I’ll Finally Stop Grieving – By John Pavlovitz
“How long has it been? When is he going to get over that grief and move on already?” I get it. I know you might be thinking that about
The Parallel Universe – By Elizabeth Riley
My husband died a year ago today. I will not refer to it as an anniversary. To me, Anniversaries are happy occasions and to remember
As His Wife Was Dying, A Small Act of Kindness Made Such a Difference
When my wife was dying from cancer…one of the cleaning ladies…who didn’t even speak much English….brought her a small stuffed animal her mother had hand
A Complete Stranger’s Kindness Towards a Young Grieving Widow
Last September was the one-year anniversary of my husband’s death. I was 27 years old, by myself at around 9 AM and was facing a
Humbled by Kindness…
…A few humbling kind experiences all wrapped into one: Humbling experience #1. My mom got suddenly diagnosed with cancer and deteriorated unbelievably quickly. She seemed
FOR BETTER OR WORSE: A 25th Anniversary Love Letter to my Dead Husband – by Lisa Gastaldo
I’ve begun this missive multiple times. Spurts of dialog verbalized in my dreams. Numerous scribbled passages were wadded up and subsequently rescued. I stared blankly
A Crowd of STRANGERS Turn Up for the Funeral of the Baby With no Name
Hundreds of mourners today attended the funeral of an unidentified baby boy whose body was found wrapped in a blanket on an Edinburgh (Scotland) railway
For the Last 3-Years I’ve Been Lying to Everyone I know – By Lucy Kramer
Since the 1st of March 2012 I’ve been a liar and I’ve lied to everyone I know. I think I’ve lied hundreds of times. Maybe
Hand in Hand For Healing! – by Erika Kind
There are many of our lovely friends dealing with health issues or mental problems, or are in the midst of working themselves through the wounds
Heart-Wrenching Photo of Doctor Crying Goes Viral. Here’s Why – by Pamela Wible MD
Outside of a Southern California hospital, an ER doctor is crouched down against a concrete wall grieving the loss of his 19-year-old patient. A paramedic
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