Surviving Grief

  💔 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...