I Am A Griever

Nicole – Using Art and Creativity to Express Grief

Nicole discusses the work she does to allow access to creative outlets such as art hives and gardening.

Lyss – Holding Space

Lyss discusses holding space, feeling the feelings and the things her Mom missed by dying at 47.

Adam – Story 1

Adam shares about losing his Mom and the many wonderful things he remembers

Jim – Supporting someone in crisis

Jim talks about supporting someone in crisis and how being there for them can help. That may mean answering the phone at 2am, taking them to the doctor’s appointment, and checking tup on them. It’s not easy, but it’s the right thing to do. He was fortunate to have a friend who did this for him, and is still grateful for their support. If you know someone who is struggling, don’t be afraid to step up. It could make all the difference.

Betsy – Mother’s day

Betsy shares her challenges around mother’s day when her adopted son died

Joyce – Being gentle on yourself

Joyce explains the importance of being gentle on yourself in grief as you face guilt and should haves

Angie – My Story

Angie shares her story of being a police officer for 31 years , mental health and grief

Lyss – Writing Songs and Words

Lyss shares about how writing songs and words has helped her with intense feelings

Lyss – My Story

Lyss talks about being 16 and her Mom dying from cancer. The second part of her story is about miscarriages

The First Fathers’ Day Without Dad

When you lose a person in the generation before you, you begin to think about what they meant to you. When you lose a parent, you think about all they meant, and you hoped you either lived up to the best of yourself, or in some cases where the parenting was not as instructive or kind, you hope you’ve raised yourself beyond difficult circumstances.

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.

Kate – My story

Kate tells her story of being away when her brother died of an opioid overdose