I Am A Griever

You Can’t Always Get What You Want

May 19, 2025

“Happiness is a choice.” A friend of mine posted this quote on Facebook the other day. She then asked others what that quote meant to them. The responses were interesting and expected, and some were even inspiring. It’s so easy to say “I choose to be happy” when life is going well. On the other…

Blog Post / Death of a Partner / I Am A Griever

Lyss – Losing My Mother

March 23, 2023

Lyss discusses losing her mother and how her first thought was that her mother would never meet her kids Now being a mother herself brings back many memories of her.

Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever / Video

Jessica’s Reflections as an Adult Grieving Child

November 16, 2023

Parents or trusted adults are people children often turn to for support, but my circle of trusted adults was shrinking. My peers were focused on what to wear on civvies day (a day where we didn’t have to wear a uniform), while I was focused on just surviving.

Blog Post / Death of a Grandparent / Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever

Grief & Ice Cream

January 25, 2023

When my wife of 18 years died in 2016, I became a single father missing the love of my life, and also had to learn how to raise two girls (13-17 at the time) on my own. I remember a conversation I had with my mother-in-law and oldest daughter that began as reminiscing over a person who became a lost love to all of us. We all talked about different aspects of my wife but shortly, it transformed into a “who meant more to her” fest.

Blog Post / Death of a Child / Death of A Loved One / Death of a Parent / Death of a Partner / I Am A Griever / Supporting Others

Keeping Records

November 17, 2023

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.

Blog Post / Death of A Loved One / Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever

Mourning a Man I Never Knew

June 15, 2023

This spring, I turned fifty-four. I have now outlived the father I never knew: my biological father. It’s been almost twenty-three years since we spoke; eighteen years since I learned of his death. I’m still dealing with the strange grief of his loss.

Blog Post / Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever

Practicing Self Compassion while Grieving

September 25, 2024

Grief is messy, confusing, enormously painful, and never seems to follow a linear path. This is when we need to take care of ourselves deeply, and yet, why is it that this is also when we beat ourselves up the most? We are good at being compassionate toward others when they are grieving — something…

Blog Post / I Am A Griever

Scott – The importance of processing

February 6, 2023

Scott discusses having a nervous breakdown and realizing that he hadn’t fully processed the grief he had been through with the loss of his mother and father. He also discusses how music helped him moving forward

I Am A Griever / Music / Video

Lyss – Writing Songs and Words

March 23, 2023

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

I Am A Griever / Music / Music / Songwriting & Grief / Video

Infant & Reproductive Loss Toolkit [Free Downloadable PDFs for Individuals and Professionals]

October 2, 2024

Navigating life, death, and loss can be overwhelming. Mental health professionals designed this toolkit for individuals, parents, caregivers, and families navigating perinatal and reproductive loss. Reactions to pregnancy and reproductive loss are as unique as fingerprints. Some can process the experience relatively quickly, while others experience unrelenting pain and grief. We hope that this toolkit…

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Blog Post / Collective/Community Grief / Death of a Child / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / I Am A Supporter / Perinatal / Supporting Others / Toolkits

Pet Loss: When People Fall Silent

April 21, 2024

A few days after the birth of my younger brother, my father was taking the dog he and my mother adopted from the humane society, along with my twin and I, to the veterinarian. Years later, my father would share how many times he wiped his eyes on the car ride there. Yoda shared 16…

Blog Post / I Am A Griever / pet loss

John – Foggy Brain

February 23, 2023

John discusses how difficult it is to concentrate after loss

Death of A Loved One / Death of a Partner / I Am A Griever / Video