Grief is a normal and natural process by which a person makes a healthy adjustment to any significant loss in his or her life. Any significant loss (the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, a broken marriage, deterioration of health, a shattered dream) triggers the process. Most people experience some or all of the below emotional responses when they lose anything or anyone important in their lives. But first, read Barb’s story:
Welcome a Stranger: Moving Children
by Karen Mulder | Moving, Wisdom Podcasts
The following poem powerfully describes the painful feelings and issues that arise when friends (of all ages) are separated by a geographic move. It was written by a ten-year-old boy and given to his friend Jonathan Kleyn, now from Holland, Michigan.
My Best Friend
Death – Suicide
by Karen Mulder | Death, Suicide
Wisdom for the Caregiver (from Barb Pekich) Friends brought dinners every day for two months. This was coordinated by the parish administrator and my best friend. Two women did my grocery shopping for almost six...
Substance Abuse
Guilt but Never Despair What did we do wrong? How could we have averted this problem? These and many other questions haunted my husband and me. Our son, Steve, at age 17, had been expelled from military school for...
Trauma: Helping Children Cope
After any disaster, (school violence, hurricane, floods, fire, earthquakes, acts of terrorism, physical or sexual violence, and so on) children are afraid that the event will happen again, that they or someone they love will be hurt or killed, that they may be separated from those they love and be left alone. Following are ways that you can help children cope with trauma. Most of these suggestions come from the children’s book Jenny is Scared: When Sad Things Happen in the World by Carol Shuman (Washington, DC: Magination Press, 2003).
Relationships: Troubled and Broken
by jmesler | Challenging Relationships, Divorce
After we had been in counseling for over a year, my wife and I chose to separate. The decision was very difficult and painful. During the next ten months we continued in counseling, working toward a reconciliation. ...
Relationships: Troubled and Broken (Friends and Relatives)
by jmesler | Challenging Relationships, Friendship
Unwise Counsel I was devastated. My sister, who had been one of my best friends, and I had had a falling out. Despite my efforts to mend the situation she would not speak to me. A certain circumstance...
Relationships: Troubled and Broken (Romantic)
by jmesler | Challenging Relationships, Romantic
I went through two broken engagements over a five-year period-same girl, both times. After the second and final break, I went to visit my friend. I was numb and tired of hurting. I felt dead inside. We talked for a while, and when I got up to leave he suggested that we pray together. I prayed first, mumbling to God the best theology I could think of under the circumstances. I then waited for him to begin. Nothing came for a long time. I was about to ask what was wrong when I heard something-a sob. I asked him what was wrong. All he could say was, “It hurts so much.”
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