I barely remember my first attempt at attending a grief support group through hospice after my husband, Dale, 57, died of a sudden, massive heart attack two days before Thanksgiving in 2018. It was very early in my grieving process, before Christmas in… Continue reading
A profound sadness has settled over our planet. Whether it’s the loss of visits with loved ones, the loss of steady work and income, the loss of our usual routines or the full-stop loss of a person in our life whose own life has been extinguished by CO… Continue reading
“A wife who loses a husband is called a widow. A husband who loses a wife is called a widower. A child who loses his parents is called an orphan. There is no word for a parent who loses a child. Lose your child and you’re nothing.” — Tennessee Williams… Continue reading
In the difficult months after her husband Robert’s death, Joan Price found herself confronted with a veritable mountain of self-help books about grieving. None of them touched on the subject that would preoccupy her for the coming decade: What about se… Continue reading
After surviving a heart attack and a cancer diagnosis, Carol Riddell feared being kept alive by machines more than she feared death itself. The retired teacher had made her end-of-life wishes clear to her wife Debbie Joffe: no extraordinary measures. T… Continue reading
(Editor’s Note: Across the country, communities are fraying in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Many people are dealing with a multitude of emotions, including grief — both past and present. So we are republishing this Next Aven… Continue reading
A friend asked with genuine concern, “How are you?” “I’m OK. Not very happy, never am. I think the world is a pretty crazy place, but I’m OK,” I replied. “Really? You look troubled. I’m asking because I want to know how you are … really,” she said. E… Continue reading
A friend asked with genuine concern, “How are you?” “I’m OK. Not very happy, never am. I think the world is a pretty crazy place, but I’m OK,” I replied. “Really? You look troubled. I’m asking because I want to know how you are … really,” she said. E… Continue reading
Editor’s Note: Larry Carlat, Next Avenue’s first Managing Editor, wrote a story for Esquire in 1998 called “You Are Me,” about adopting his son Robbie. Unfortunately, there was a tragic end to it. Carlat’s son took his own life nine months ago. He was… Continue reading
Thanksgiving is the day meant to serve as a reminder to be thankful for everything we have and to be grateful to the individuals who bring love, friendship and fulfillment to our lives. Kristi Nelson, the executive director of A Network for Grateful Li… Continue reading