Surviving Grief

  🕊️ To Fly Away and Be at Rest July 25, 2025 | by Dyan Bertha Fiorentino “My heart is in anguish within me… And I say, ‘O, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.’” —Psalm 55:4–6 There are moments when the weight of life becomes unbearable. Days when the grief, the stress, and the constant striving feel like they might swallow us whole. In those moments, the idea of flying away and finding rest isn’t just poetic—it’s a longing. A prayer. A desperate plea from a tired heart. Since losing Mark, I’ve been doing all I can to build a life for Bryce and me. I’ve poured myself into my writing, into sharing our story, and into building a faith-based online space where grief and healing can co-exist. Some days I feel hopeful. Other days, like today, I feel stuck—like I’ve been fighting the same uphill battle for far too long.               And yet, Jesus prepared us for these very seasons of suffering: He said, “I have said ...

  🌾 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...

  "I Keep Wanting to Tell Them…" 💭 The Moments That Still Belong to Them There are still moments—quiet, unremarkable moments—when I catch myself reaching for my phone or turning my head to speak. It might be something funny I saw. Something beautiful. Something frustrating. Something sacred. And without fail, my first thought is, "I need to tell Mark." Then the ache comes. Healing is not a straight line. It is a circle that returns us, again and again, to the person we miss the most. Even after weeks, months, or years, I find myself longing to share the day's joys and burdens with my lost loved ones. And it does not feel strange. It feels like muscle memory. Because Mark was not just my husband—he was my person. My sounding board. My safe place. My Mom was the person I went to for everything. We spoke on the phone at least three times a day when we didn't live together. When we lived together, there might have been times when we were together too...

  Grieving Hearts Need Gentle Places By Dyan Bertha Fiorentino Grief Does not Stop the World — But It Changes Ours When we are grieving, the world does not stop — but it often feels like it should. As I sat down to film this video, I was thinking about the countless hearts carrying silent burdens. Those who have lost a spouse, a parent, a child… or even the version of life they thought they would have. I know that kind of ache. It is not just emotional — it is spiritual, physical, and daily.   In June 2025, I lost my husband, Mark — my anchor, and my home. And in the years before, I lost my mother, Jackie, and others dear to me. Each loss brought its own storm, and each storm forced me to grow deeper roots in my faith.   But grief does not come with a roadmap. Every day brings different challenges, some easy to navigate alone, and some too hard to even consider. Since Mark left, I have thought about the dreams we will never fulfill. We wanted to travel around the Unit...

Secure a New Beginning for Dyan and Bryce Hello, my name is Dyan Bertha Fiorentino. I'm a widow, a mother, and a writer trying to rebuild a life after heartbreak. In June 2025, I lost my husband Mark — the love of my life, my best friend, my partner in everything. His funeral has been paid for, but without his income, my son Bryce and I are now struggling to survive. But Mark was not the only loss. In the past five years, I've also lost my mother, Jackie — my anchor and closest friend — just three months after her diagnosis. And I've grieved the passing of my biological father, Lewis, my stepdad, Bill, and my beautiful niece, Tawni. Each loss felt like a chapter closing. But God kept me going through faith, through writing, and through serving others in grief. I've written and published my memoir Divine Light, built a blog called Surviving Grief with Dyan, created a 7-day and now 365-day grief journal, and started offering writing services and video reflections. I joine...

🌍 Grief Has No Borders Many of you are from around the world. I would love it if you could share how grief has touched your heart. I want you to feel at home here, wherever you may be from. Simply use the Translate button in the sidebar. –Dyan You can now read "Surviving Grief" with Dyan in multiple  languages. May the words bring comfort, no matter the language. 💜

💔 Real Grief Doesn’t Fade – It Deepens with Love "Real grief is not healed by time… If time does anything, it deepens our grief..." —Henri Nouwen, Healing After Loss 🕯️ The Frightening Truth About Grief At first, this idea is terrifying. Grief deepening? Will I ever feel better? But as days pass, I’ve started to understand what Henri Nouwen meant. As time unfolds, so do memories. The more time we have to reflect, the more fully we realize who our loved one truly was to us. Their love—the kind we may have taken for granted while they were alive—becomes clearer, sharper, and yes, sometimes more painful in their absence. 🕳️ The Depth of the Loss It has been 24 days since Mark passed away. I thought Bryce and I were managing. But today, it hit me—we’re drowning. Neither of us is sleeping. I feel like I’m spiraling. Even the computer, my comfort tool, feels like a stranger. I told Bryce today, half-joking, half-serious, “Maybe we should just sell everything and live in ou...

  🏡 When the House No Longer Holds Them "In desperate hope, I go and search for her in all the corners of my house... But infinite is thy mansion, my Lord, and seeking her I have come to thy door." —Rabindranath Tagore 🕯️ My Mother's Presence Lingered After my mother passed, her home felt like hers. Every room whispered of her presence— The kitchen still smelled of her cooking. Her closet still held the scent of her perfume. I thought cleaning out her closet would bring some relief. It didn’t. Her spirit clung to every inch of that house. I wasn’t just letting go of things—I was letting go of her space, her sanctuary. 📦 Letting Go of Mark’s Belongings When Mark died, I handled it differently. I began sorting through his things right away. Bryce helped. Today, he brought Mark’s clothes to Goodwill. It wasn’t easy. But we both knew that clearing space might help us breathe again. 🤍 Why It Felt Different I kept wondering: Why was it harder to leave my mother’s house than...