Death of A Loved One

Kara – “As time passes it gets easier”

Kara explains how her grief changes through time. Kara continues to grieve the death of her partner.

Matt – My Story

Matt tells how he found his birth mother and then lost her.

Jean – Helping your children through grief

Jean discusses how helping her children through grief also helped her

Kara – “Dogs”

Kara discusses how pets help. Kara continues to grieve the death of her partner.

Lisa – Music and a safe space

Lisa explains how music has been a safe space for her to feel all of the emotions that have come up since she lost her Dad

Cheryl and Mike – “Time”

Cheryl and Mike talk about time and their journeys. They continue to grieve the death their daughter in a car accident.

Craig – My Story

Craig’s story is one of resilience and triumph. In the span of just 18 months, he lost his marriage, his mom, two dogs, a cat, his job, and his house. But rather than give up, he picked himself up and started over. He went back to school to become a therapist, and now he’s helping others who are struggling to overcome adversity. Craig’s story is a reminder that no matter how bad things seem, there is always hope. With hard work and determination, you can overcome any challenge.

Russell – “Supporting each other”

Russell discusses how he is adjusting to the new normal. Russell continues to grieve the perinatal death of his son.

Bryan – Trauma

Bryan discusses trauma anxiety, support and the loss of his father to gun violence

Joyce – My Story

Joyce shares her story about the sudden death of her son in an accident and how she has coped by helping others in need

Keeping Records

I pulled the photos out of their envelope one at a time, turning over each one to carefully record the date, place, and people in the photo. Sometimes, I included comments. “Apple picking in Hamilton with Pop Pop, Fall, 2023. You loved the wagon ride!”. I slipped each picture into an empty pocket in my son’s photo album.

Doodles

On the first anniversary, I invited people who would understand – friends who knew Marshal’s love of art, and his creative spirit. They all came.

I had copied several of Marshal’s doodles of incomplete characters and creatures, with some finished for the kids to color. I eagerly watched to see which doodle or drawing each person chose.