Author Archive
According to the National Institute for Mental Health, suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, with over 45,000 people in 2020. It’s the second leading cause of death among individuals between …
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In his book, Do Funerals Matter, author and widely regarded authority on the role of social support in death, dying, and grief William G. Hoy makes a strong case for the value of rituals in …
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A Matter of Death and Life by Irvin D. Yalom and Marilyn Yalom is a wonderful book on so many levels. Most anyone who picks up this superb “diary” will find their life enhanced, their …
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We all want to be remembered for something. We have children, we paint, we write, we fight, we conquer. We leave behind marks on the fabric of humanity, and while some are content to stay …
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What’s in a name? A lot if you ask me. In the ancient world, when a person’s name was mentioned in a conversation or a letter, they became present in that moment. Whether they were …
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Nearly every generation has a TV show or a character, that is a large component of your upbringing. For many of us as children, we welcomed television families into our own family rooms. We’d let them into …
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Facing our fears builds courage. It is a means to step forward in our grief. That is what courage looks like. Courage is not fearlessness. Courage means that we experience all the feelings that make …
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Dear fellow grievers, A good friend recently asked me, as she has every year since we met twenty years ago if I was happy 2021 was nearly over—and what I planned to leave behind. …
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“Even in darkness, it is possible to create light.” – Elie Weisel December 21, the winter solstice, was the longest night of the year. In the midst of a busy holiday season where many of …
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It’s not unusual that in the darkest part of the year, there is so much emphasis put on lights. The Mission Inn in Riverside lights up its exterior with strings of lights. It is a …
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