Pets are a part of the family. They are intimately involved in our lives and they definitely notice when we are not around. Just like humans, pets experience grief when someone they love passes away. However, pets can have a hard time understanding what has happened and why they no longer see their person anymore. …
How Do You Comfort A Pet Who Has Lost Their Human? Read More »
“It has been a year! It feels like it has been forever since the funeral! Why do I still feel so bad?” Does this sound familiar? Or maybe, “I was feeling on top of the world for months and now I can’t make myself get out of bed. I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, and …
It is January and it is cold and snowy. The kids are preparing to go back to school. Parents are getting ready to face the work weeks ahead without the anticipation of a break until spring. It can be dull and gray outside, unlike the similar picture of how some of us might feel inside. …
Among the joy filled laughter and the excited squeals of the young children is the silent mourner who is dreading this season. The reminder of Christmases past with their loved one at the top of the hearts and memories the holiday season can be a cruel reminder of what was lost all over again. Isolating …
After the loss of a loved one, the holiday season can be touched with a bittersweet sadness. How do you handle the various celebrations and events? How do you include the person you have lost in your celebration? At Oliver’s, we have two programs to support grieving families during the Christmas season. Our Christmas Candlelight …
How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You’re Grieving? Read More »
The unimaginable has happened to you! As you are preparing for the most important roles in your lives, becoming parents, the unimaginable happens. Your dreams are shattered, and your lives are forever changed. You have lost your child. You have lost hope for a better future. You have lost your legacy. Many of you are …
When we are grieving a loss, we may not be kind to ourselves or recognize our need for self-care. We tend to be extremely hard on ourselves and more critical of our actions or words than normal. We are keenly aware of being overwhelmed and feel powerless to respond beyond our pain and suffering. Grief …
National Grief Awareness Day is August 30, 2022. This year, it is more important than ever to have those uncomfortable conversations about any losses you have experienced over the last couple of years. Covid-19 caused many losses in all of our lives. Talking about grief helps us understand and process the losses that we have …
Grief is the normal, emotional reaction to a loss. Every time you grieve, it is because of a loss, but you won’t necessarily have intense grief with every loss. The intensity varies according to the type of loss, the degree of emotional bonding, and the investment in what was lost. When we are grieving, we …
In the time following a loved one’s death, a family begins to make attempts at establishing ways to remember their loved one. One way to remember is to incorporate touchpoints into our lives. According to the dictionary, a touch point is “a mark or effect left … at a place that will emphasize or bring …
What is the difference between depression and grief? How are mental health and grief connected? May is Mental Health Awareness month. As a society, we have stigmatized grief as something that happens, and in a few days, we are expected to return to normal life. Grief seems an ok topic at the funeral home but …
Recently in a grief recovery group that I lead, a griever asked if what they were experiencing was a result of grief. They said “I have a friend who lost his dad recently. I am worried about him. I haven’t seen my friend cry or even get sad that his dad has passed away. Is …
