Grief is overwhelming, and grievers may frequently turn to their grief supporters for help getting through the initial trauma of loss and then healing. Some grief supporters are really great at being there for the griever in their lives, others aren’t as helpful. While being surrounded by amazing support is important for grievers, even theContinue reading “Monday Meditation: Give me an “I””
Author Archives: ancarroll
Six Years and Counting…
What have I reflected on as I come to end of year six? This is my grief six years in.
Monday Meditation: Fight or Flight
Grief throws many things at you in fast succession; it is overwhelming. Grievers may barely get a break between one thing and the next. Sometimes it’s hard to breathe; reality can feel too real at times and it can be tempting to avoid it or numb ourselves to forget about it.
Monday Meditation: Open With Loving-Kindness
It is easy to become angry and bitter after losing a loved one. Finding or feeling joy and hope seems impossible. We may even feel that the loss is somehow a punishment, an action taken by the universe to ruin our lives. We may even lash out at others, finding long-lasting comfort in the angerContinue reading “Monday Meditation: Open With Loving-Kindness”
Grief 101: Anger
The following series of posts outlines the traditional “stages” of grief as presented in Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’s On Death and Dying (1969). The stages are: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. This post addresses anger. Please see my post called “The Five Stages of Grief” for a brief discussion of the five-stages. Anger is perhaps theContinue reading “Grief 101: Anger”
Monday Meditation: Strength & Courage
When we lose a loved one, we often lose the person who most believed in us, the person we leaned on when we needed to rest and gather ourselves. Once gone, we lack the support and encouragement that gives us strength when we need it. Being loved provides us strength.
Monday Meditation: To Love, Listen
Grief is a response to love lost and grief is the expression of deep love itself. As such, grievers must honor the love within grief, and listen to what it shares about their life, their memories, and their future.
Monday Meditation: Sorting the Mess
If you’ve ever moved, you know how stressful it is to be surrounded by a mess that you have to put away. But, before you can put anything away, you have to figure out where everything is going to go, and to do that, first you have to organize the rooms and furniture. Then, afterContinue reading “Monday Meditation: Sorting the Mess”
Monday Meditation: Tomorrow was, Today is…
At first, grief days may be a whirlwind of chaos and disbelief. Then they may settle into long stretches populated with questions like ,”What now?” Nights seem longer at first, endless even. One or the other may seem more daunting as you wonder how to get through another day or night without your loved one.Continue reading “Monday Meditation: Tomorrow was, Today is…”
Contemplative Craft
I have long paired crafting with suffering. Crafting brings a meditative moment to life, helps reduce stress, and melts chaotic elements (if only for a short time). I have crocheted and knit for over twenty years and have had various iterations of craft shops. Now, my shop and my craft have a greater purpose: toContinue reading “Contemplative Craft”
Monday Meditation: Follow What Feels Good
Social opinions on grief are everywhere. They invade a grievers space from day one and snowball over time thanks to well-meaning (and not so well-meaning) grief supporters who aim to “fix” us and help us “get over” loss.
Monday Meditation: A Chance to Renew
January 1 may be a fresh start for the calendar, but grief-related stress and issues don’t get the same consideration. Grief rolls over from year to year, and whatever has accumulated over time continues to expand. This produces stress and perhaps a desire to avoid whatever lingering issues are present in an effort to “startContinue reading “Monday Meditation: A Chance to Renew”
Monday Meditation: A Time for Reflection
This is the last week of the 2020. What a year it has been.
Christmas 2020
2020 has been messy. That’s being kind. Christmas is right around the corner and the messiness continues as we move to celebrate in ways that deviate from years past. Traditions have been paused for a year and we’ve had to become creative about how we celebrate at a distance.
Monday Meditation: Season with Joy
Holidays may be an awkward time for grievers. First holidays, especially, can be tough. There is no etiquette for how to handle the first year of special events without a loved one. Do we relish in memories of past holidays? Do we share memories with others? Will memories bring sadness? If I am happy, amContinue reading “Monday Meditation: Season with Joy”
A.N.Carroll 