What do you say to a mom or dad who has suffered the ultimate heartbreak?July is Bereaved Parents Awareness Month, a project started by Peter and Deb Kulkkula in honor of families trying to cope after the death of a child. The Massachusetts couple struggled through the deaths of their two adult sons. As a mental health professional and twice-bereaved parent, Dr. Gordon Livingston knows the issue all too well. The Columbia, Continue reading
Children and Grief…..
With tragedy occurring throughout the world, children are often exposed to loss of life many times over before they become adults. It is not possible to shield children or protect them from this reality, nor should adults try. Children, in fact, do grieve, and they can be helped with the grieving process.Types of lossThe actual physical loss of a person is the primary loss experienced by the child. However, death is more than loss of the individual's physical presence. Secondary losses or Continue reading
When Is the ‘Right’ Time To Go Through Your Late Spouse’s Belongings?
One of the most common dilemmas that the widowed face from both practical and emotional standpoints is deciding when to go through a late spouse’s belongings. How long should you wait? Do you accept offers of help? How do you know when the time is right? Additionally — and there is no getting around it — while continuing forward on your Healing Journey, you will occasionally experience moments of grief. Activities such as going through your beloved’s clothing, selling vehicles, putting away Continue reading
When Our Memories Smell Like Us…
Four months after Newtown, People magazine has published a series called, “Life After Newtown Shootings” where the parents describe their grief and how they are coping. It’s a beautiful series and well-worth your time and the three dollar Kleenex box that you’ll go through.One of the parents mentions that she still sleeps with her son’s pajamas so that she can be soothed by “his smell.” Certainly, considering the tragedy of Newtown, there is nothing abnormal about her practice. In fact, it’s Continue reading
3 Tips for Going Through Your Departed Loved One’s Belongings
Once the dust starts to settle and you get back to your daily routine following the death of your loved one, you might start thinking about what to do with your loved one’s belongings. You’ll start thinking about this when you open your closet and see your late husbands suites hanging in there, or walk past your child’s room and see their bed the way they left it. Eventually you might decide that it’s time to do something with your loved one’s possessions. What you choose to do with them is Continue reading
How to deal with grief and loss during holidays and special occasions….
With Easter coming up, we wanted to share this article with you.Holidays and special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries may be a time when you get together with family and friends. Often, if you’ve lost someone you love, you might be reminded that this person isn’t around. This can be a hard and each person will cope with this differently.Here are some ideas that may help you better manage these special occasions:Plan for the day. Treat the anniversary or special occasion in the Continue reading
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