Time: Time alone and time with those you trust and who will listen when you need to talk. Months and years of time to feel and understand the feelings that go along with the loss. Rest, Relaxation, Exercise, Nourishment, Diversion: You may need extra amounts of things you needed before. Hot baths, afternoon naps, a [...]

-Be present and available. -Listen. -Speak the name of the person who has died. -Talk about the person who has died/share a fond memory. -Allow person to grieve – don’t be afraid of their tears. -Allow people to feel their pain. Walk with them, let them deal with their emotions in helpful and healing ways. [...]

~ Decorate the grave with a special wreath designed by family ~ Share stories and pictures from the past with family and friends ~ Light a special candle ~ Give to a charity or special cause in memory of a loved one ~ Sponsor a light on the Hospice Tree of Lights ~ Volunteer to [...]

Grief, with its many ups and downs, lasts far longer than society in general recognizes. Be patient with yourself. Each person’s grief is individual. You and your family will experience it and cope with it differently. Crying is an acceptable and healthy expression of grief and releases built-up tension for mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters. [...]

Most people who suffer a loss experience one or more of the following: Feel tightness in the throat or heaviness in the chest. Have an empty feeling in their stomach and lose their appetite. Feel guilty at times, and angry at others. Feel restless and look for activity but find it difficult to concentrate. Feel [...]

“One of the most useful means for long-term self-development is the systematic use of an ongoing workbook, diary or journal. Such a journal, thoughtfully done, can provide a structure to assist us in paying closer, attention to our lives and in evoking and developing our understanding of ourselves and others. It acts as a “reflector” [...]

Here are several suggestions for getting the most out of the upcoming holidays. We suggest that you try one or two of them, or use these to spark some other ideas that will be personal and meaningful to you. Even though there may be some emotional pain connected with doing activities like these, we believe [...]