Animals and Dying, Death and Grief
Question: My beloved cat is dying. My heart is broken. What do you think happens when animals die? Talk about dealing with grief from the loss of a pet. (The...
Something to Think About: a blog on end of life
Grief
The Emptiness of Grief
At first the pain and emptiness of loss is with us every waking and even sleeping moment. Over a period of months we gradually begin to see life moving around...
My Unresolved Grief
Unresolved grief is not having figured out how to go on living after the death of a loved one. There are a lot of reasons why this happens. Here are...
Guilt and Grief After the Death of an Alcoholic Son
Remember we all do the best we can in any given situation. None of us sets out to do a “bad” job, to live life poorly, to make mistakes, or...
Question: Suicide Grief
Question: How do you grieve a suicide as a result of terminal illness and for no apparent reason? But there is a reason and that reason is the terminal illness....
When It Is TIme To Say Goodbye
Most religions of the world teach us that when we are dead we are in a better place. I add to that that being dead is easy while being alive...
I Work With Dying People
I wrote this poem one day after seeing two particular patients. One was a woman in her 40's who was working through the anger of not being able to see...
Grief for a Person with Dementia
Perhaps you’ve heard it said: Having a loved one with dementia is the long goodbye. We lose the person we know long before their body dies. As with all terminal...
Grief
Visualize a table in front of an open window. There are stacks of paper on the table, tidy, organized stacks. A slight breeze comes through the window and rustles the...
Grief and the Holidays
Our seasonal holidays are here and for those of us who have had loved ones die this year the holidays will be a particularly challenging time. Something to think about:...
Family and Grief
QUESTION: Explain the different ways members of the same family experience grief. Grief is a lot of emotions rolled into one package. Each person will experience and show these emotions...
Family Contact
QUESTION: Working in Hospice, I always had a terrible time with ---Do I stay in contact with the family after visitation or not? ANSWER: I think staying in contact with...