After losing my husband 10 years ago, I joined a bereavement group. At the final session, a few of us decided to meet monthly for lunch. Perfect for me, because for the first time in my life, I had no friends who lived nearby. I’d just left an all-cons… Continue reading
Not too long ago, a dear friend’s dad suffered a major heart attack and died. At the funeral, there was little time for more than a brief exchange of words. But, given my background in grieving support and education, I wanted to offer some advice to he… Continue reading
As anyone who has lost a loved one knows, grieving is a heartbreaking journey. When you’re a caregiver and the person you’ve been caring for dies, experts on grieving agree the psychological outcome and healing process are somewhat different. That’s es… Continue reading
If you are sure you would never read a book about how to face death, especially long before you need it, A Beginner’s Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death just might convince you it wouldn’t be bad to have on the shelf. W… Continue reading
After a parent or another loved one dies, one of the hardest tasks is cleaning out their home. Whether or not it’s the home you grew up in, the house or apartment will likely hold some memories and going through the contents can be emotionally draining… Continue reading
When my mom passed away, having established guidelines for my early grieving process was a relief, giving me concrete steps to take and tasks to do. Several years on, my grief is different — less sharp, but still punctuated with unexpected moments and … Continue reading
When my 57-year-old husband, Dale, suddenly died of a massive heart attack on Nov. 20, 2018, two days before Thanksgiving, to say I was in shock was an understatement. More than a month later, I realized just how much my mental capacity was affected by… Continue reading
(A recent study by ProPublica and the Urban Institute found that 56 of older workers suffer at least one layoff or other type of involuntary job separation between turning 50 and retirement. After that, just one in 10 earn as much as they previously di… Continue reading
After spending 15 years researching the best ways to support people whose lives end in hospice, professor Elizabeth Bergman has advice for friends, neighbors, family members and co-workers who want to send them a final, poignant message: Mail cards, bu… Continue reading
Bereavement is an old-fashioned term, harking back to an era when family members who lost a loved one dressed in black, literally wearing their grief for all to see. Today, mourning a death has few rules, traditions or identifiers. But research indicat… Continue reading