How to Deal With the Grief of an Aging Body
Body changes can raise disturbing feelings, such as looking in a mirror and seeing a reflection that may feel spiritually empty, unproductive, ugly, or weak. Unpleasant sensations such as pain, pins and needles, soreness coursing through limbs, and an inexplicable fog filling the head are a reminder that this body is not the same you […]
The Truth About My Marriage I Finally Had to Face
“You don’t have to set yourself on fire to keep other people warm.” ~Unknown Tomorrow, a court will grant me a divorce after eleven years of marriage. I’ve spent the last several months rereading a decade of my own life like evidence in a case, trying to understand how I got here. What I found […]
The Day I Realized Love Couldn’t Save Someone
“When it comes down to it, that’s what life is all about: showing up for the people you love, again and again, until you can’t show up anymore.” ~Rebecca Walker The first time my dad admitted he was scared, I felt something shift inside me. Not uncomfortable. Not worried. Scared. He had recently been diagnosed […]
How to Navigate Anticipatory Grief
When my mother was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, it was the most difficult time of my life. Not only was I dealing with her care, but I was anticipating her slow, inevitable decline and death. I was living in a kind of betwixt and between, trying to balance caring for her, my young children, […]
Athletes, Grief, and the Losses No One Talks About
When people think about sports, attention is often driven to athletes’ physical abilities, psychological endurance, and team-based achievements (Sarkar & Fletcher, 2014). A far less visible but equally significant aspect of the sport experience is the presence of grief following death within sport contexts. Despite its inevitability, grief in sport remains under-examined and frequently marginalized, […]
Anniversary Grief after Infertility and Perinatal Loss
Sometimes, you find yourself feeling off. Maybe you’re extra tired, more emotional than usual, or just not yourself. Then you check the calendar and it makes sense. It’s that time of year again. The anniversary of your pregnancy loss.The due date that never arrived.The start of a fertility treatment cycle that ended in heartbreak. You […]
Pets and the Hidden Grief in the Immigration Journey
Recently, I shared a post inviting people to talk about their relationships with their pets and the impact of this bond on their lives. The idea was to understand what it is like to experience moving with a pet to another country. I spoke with some Brazilian immigrants who share a deep emotional bond with […]
Traveling the Stages of Grief Over Current Events
Are you currently experiencing a plethora of emotions over current global events, especially what may be occurring in your own country? You’re not alone. In this unprecedented time in history, individuals who are usually on an even keel are struggling to keep their heads above water emotionally. Those who have Mental health challenges such as […]