January 13 2020
Monday, January 13, 2020
If I had recently lost a loved one and a friend said to me, “You got this!” I’m not sure I would appreciate it. With grief, it can help to hold it inside a supportive community where we can release it, but ultimately, we do have to feel it inside ourselves and find our own meaning from it; no one else can do that for us. Fortunately, the safety of a supportive community and the stories of those who’ve journeyed through their own grief can send the message “You got this!” in a meaningful way.
Previous Posts
October 11 2021
As we continue our conversation about cherishing memories, my work provides me with the gift of hearing many cherished memories. I’ve shared many spaces with people grieving loved ones and when the...
October 4 2021
This month our theme is “Cherishing Memories.” Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D., considers remembering the person who died as one of the needs of mourners. You move from a relationship of presence to a relation...
September 27 2021
As we close out this month’s discussion of “Mustering Courage in Loss,” I invite you do as poet John O’Donohue suggests and engage the danger and the wildness in your own heart, even when your hear...
September 20 2021
I really appreciate this line from poet Alice Mackenzie Swaim, “Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.” That is what it take...
September 13 2021
As we talk more about mustering courage in loss, let’s begin with the etymology of the words muster and courage. According to https://www.etymonline.com, the word muster means, "to display, reveal,...
September 6 2021
This month our theme is “Mustering Courage in Loss.” This is a very appropriate theme as we honor the 20th anniversary of 9-11. Koch Funeral Home was working with Alpha Fire Company to hold a Remem...
August 30 2021
For our final “Life with Tears and Laughter” themed post this month, I offer the poem, “The Guest House,” by Rumi, a 13th century Persian poet, scholar, theologian and Sufi mystic.
This being huma...
August 23 2021
People often ask me how I take care of myself since my work involves life with tears and laughter. One of the things I do is allow myself to freely express my tears and laughter. I’ve learned that ...
August 16 2021
Now let’s look at the laughter portion of our theme, “Life with Tears and Laughter.” Research has shown that laughter is healthy for us emotionally, physically and socially. (Please read the July G...
August 9 2021
Continuing with our theme of “Life with Tears and Laughter,” this week I’ll talk about the tears. As a culture we accept tears around times of death but, they often then make us feel uncomfortable....
Find Us:
Comments