How to Talk to Children About Suicide: The Power of Conversation January 27, 2014 • 8 Comments When I dreamt of becoming a mother, I never imagined that one day I would look into the eyes of my children to begin a discussion about their father’s choice to end his life. But that is exactly what happened. As I searched their faces for clues during those first few days, I realized I was going to have to…
Dealing with Grief and Gracefully Disengaging from Blame January 20, 2014 • 7 Comments I originally posted this a year ago but I recently read an article on the Huffington Post discussing the issue of blame and thought I would repost since it seems to be an ongoing problem. I have had some interesting and difficult conversations over the last two years. I thought I would share this one in particular, in case you…
End of Life Planning: The Importance of Being a Prepared Optimist January 17, 2014 • 2 Comments A week after my husband’s death, there was an embarrassing pause when my attorney asked about the individuals we had assigned in our Will to be in charge of our personal matters. There had been no contact with either of them for many years. Although the Will was in place, the details sadly reflected days gone past. Luckily, the basics…
Conscious Parenting: Optimizing Your Behavoir During Difficult Times January 6, 2014 • 0 Comments When I began the process of disciplining my first two children, I encountered a dilemma. Normally patient and kind, I would suddenly become irrational, triggered by incidental things. I couldn’t explain or understand the behavior but it bothered me. One minute I was a calm and happy mother, the next, I was my mother, yelling.
Coping with Suicide: A Poem About Loss September 6, 2013 • 0 Comments This poem was sent to me by a woman I know whose son recently took his own life. She received it from a friend and found great solace in the words. I can understand why and wanted to share it with you. There is a brokenness out of which comes the unbroken, a shatteredness out of which blooms the unshatterable.…
Parenting Through Grief: The Beauty of Resilience April 29, 2013 • 0 Comments One of the most challenging parts of my journey has been the feeling that I have lost precious time with my children during these last two and a half years. Although I am powerless to change that fact, perhaps it is what inspires me to find the silver lining in the mess. It gives me a sense of recapturing the…