Surviving Grief

  🌾 When Kindness Feels Like a Curse (But Isn't) Some Days, It Just Feels Harder Today, I had one of those conversations—the kind that lingers in the soul. My aunt and I were talking about life. About blessings. About luck. And she said something that’s stuck with me: "It really does seem like the kind souls have it harder than the thieves." And I felt that. Deeply. Because the truth is—I’ve never had an easy life. I haven’t had the kind of luck people talk about over coffee or smile about in social media captions. My journey has been one of heartbreak, struggle, starting over, and pushing past the breaking point more times than I can count. Kindness Isn’t a Weakness I try to live kindly. I try to love generously. I try to believe that good wins. But there are days—hard ones—where it feels like  being a good person comes with a cost  that others never seem to pay. People who manipulate, deceive, or take advantage often seem to glide through life, while those of us who fe...

  💔 Grieving the Griever: A Reflection  on Tawni and Today's Quote Healing After Loss – July 23 —In memory of Tawni. In honor of healing. Today's quote by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross hits home. Not for me this time—but for my sweet niece, Tawni. She never stopped mourning the loss of her mother. The pain ran so deep that eventually, her heart gave out—literally. The official cause was a heart attack brought on by drinking, but I know the deeper truth: she died of a broken heart. Some Wounds Go Too Deep I tried everything I could to help her. I held her hand. I listened. I reminded her of the beauty that still existed in the world. But the pain never loosened its grip. Some of our family grew angry with her because she "never moved on." I never felt anger—just sorrow. It broke my heart to see her hurt like that. It still does. She left her two young children at a younger age than she herself had been. It breaks my heart knowing that they do not have their mother for t...

  Overwhelmed by Cardboard and Memories July 22 Blog Post – Surviving Grief with Dyan Packing up my life is more complicated than I thought it would be.  It's only been two years since I left Montana, but in many ways, it feels like a lifetime ago—and yet somehow, like yesterday. This week, I found myself back in the basement, opening boxes that had remained untouched since the day we moved. We were in a hurry back then, trying to hold everything together. So the packing was rushed, quick, just "get it done." And now here I am, face to face with the forgotten. 📦 Opening the Boxes of the Past Inside one box were photographs I hadn't seen in years. In another, a bundle of cards I had sent to my parents—some handwritten, filled with love and daily news I thought they'd want to hear. I found souvenirs from their trip to Hawaii three decades ago. A little yellowed, a bit bent, but full of memories of a simpler time, when they were alive and smiling under the sun. ...

  The Gift of Quiet Tears: Why We Need Others to Help Us Grieve Introduction There’s a deep and holy truth in today’s reflection that reminds me how important it is to have someone by our side—not to fix us, but to be with us. The quote by Robert Frost strikes home: Too proud to be beholden for relief, Are absolutely sure to come to grief.” We Were Never Meant to Grieve Alon e We weren’t made to journey through loss alone. And yet, how many of us try? Whether from pride, fear of being a burden, or simply believing no one can understand, we isolate ourselves. But grief, by its very nature, demands companionship—not to replace the one we lost, but to offer a soft place to land while we endure the sorrow. A Story That Says It All There’s a story of a little girl who came home late. Her mother asked where she’d been. “Helping Jane,” she said. “Her doll broke.” The mother asked, “Did you help her fix it?” The girl answered, “No, I helped her cry.” That kind of simple wisdom alway...

📬 A Letter from a Stranger: Comfort in an Envelope Today, I received a letter in the mail from a stranger. It said,   "Dear Dyan Fiorentino, I am writing this letter to you to say we are sorry for your loss. We know it's not easy to mourn the loss of a loved one; it takes courage, time, prayers, and love from our friends to help. My wife and I have lost those we care about in death too; on those sad days, we truly needed comfort, so we appreciated the love and hope there is from God, and we wanted to share this comforting message with you found in the bible at Revelation 12:3-5. Yes, the word of God shows that" He will make all things new." Not new things, especially, but making things better makes us young and healthy again. The Bible has several accounts of family members being resurrected to life on this earth, helping us understand that the resurrection hope is real. Revelation 20:13 We know there are many questions about the future, but the bible can an...

  Still Standing, Still Praying: When You’ve Given All You Can 💔 A Tired Heart, Still Trying I’ve tried to stay strong. I’ve tried to stay hopeful. But if I’m being honest with you—and with myself—today, I’m just tired. Every day feels like a mountain. Waking up, finding the strength to keep going, trying to figure out how to survive in a world that kept spinning after mine stopped… it’s overwhelming. Since losing Mark, my heart has never quite returned to normal. He wasn’t just my husband. He was our provider, our rock, the one who helped carry me through my PTSD and anxiety when the world outside our door was too much to face. Now, it’s just me and my son, Bryce, trying to pick up the pieces in a world that doesn’t slow down for grief. 🏚️ Why I Created the GoFundMe  I created a GoFundMe because we’re falling behind on rent. Six months behind, actually. Our landlord has shown grace, but grace only stretches so far. I’ve done everything I can from home—starting Flip vi...