grief

Losing a family member is one of the most traumatic life events; Families must support one another to endure the five stages of grief and get through it together.

How to Prepare?
There's a question that's been floating around in my head for the last three years. How do you prepare yourself to live without your parents?
By Laura Horst4 years ago in Families
Cherries, Cream Soda, and Payday
Today is June 6, 2022, and Father's Day is less than two weeks away. And as I begin my story of him, I am overwhelmed with emotion. The tears stream freely as I consider what I want to share most with you about a man who taught me so much about life, literature, and happiness.
By Rebecca A Hyde Gonzales4 years ago in Families
An Essay to the parent who died.
I wrote my first graded essay for English a couple of years back. I got an A! Isn’t that great? ‘It must be personal, and must tell me something about you,’ I knew exactly what I was going to write about – it wasn’t dissimilar to the story I wrote when I was 10 years old.
By Kirsty Doyle4 years ago in Families
My Harsh Opinion on The Meaning of Life
I used to believe that there was some sort of meaning to life. Everything happened for a reason, and there was some kind of higher power. There was a ‘plan’ for everyone. When people die, they move on to a better place, and my Papa was there watching over me and protecting me.
By Joslyn4 years ago in Families
Finding my passion
Everything happens for a reason. Running into old friends, meeting new ones, and moving schools. I always thought my mom passing away wasn’t fitting regarding this statement, but now that I’m older I see it does. My mom passing away helped me find my passion. It sounds harsh, and I don’t feel for her loss, but I do. I have felt the pain of her loss all my life. I’ve accepted that she’s gone and have learned about the things she did. I understood it wasn’t my fault or that she was selfish. I learned that it was something she couldn’t handle and the only way for her to be happy was out.
By Parker Lyles4 years ago in Families
Goodbye
For the past couple of months, I have been in a battle with myself to pick up the pen and begin writing again. It isn’t a problem I have experienced an issue with before; because the written language has always been the best form of communication, and expression for me. If anyone reads this I ask that you not take this post as something to judge as my typical works, it is not, however, I need to get past this stage of my life and the only way to do that is to stop collecting sheets of half-written attempts at trying to make sense of life as it currently is for me.
By Esoteric Student4 years ago in Families
Recent Discovery
Mom, first off I want to tell you how much I love you and have appreciated all the effort you put into raising my brother and I. Now before I get into what I need to say, I also want you to know that I understand how hard it is raising two children, and that your actions and words were not meant to cause the reactions in me that it did. I recently realized that, even though our relationship has gotten better, I am still angry and hurt.
By Kiyona Fahiri4 years ago in Families
Fire
Approximately 20 years ago, I was personally touched by the urban blight of fire, when it destroyed my apartment and killed my girlfriend while I was away at work. I did not even know about the disaster until I came home from work and saw those ominous yellow plastic police tapes DO NOT CROSS warning signs around my apartment complex.
By John Whye4 years ago in Families
Dear Mommy
Dear Mommy, Did you know I’ll never know what it feels like to have a mommy? I know what it’s like to be a mommy … It’s the only feeling in the world that makes me feel like I have reached the very top of the mountain after a long treacherous trail. It’s the only feeling in the world that could illuminate the chemical hole you burned in me before I even got to experience the world. Yet somehow, it’s the only feeling that could spring forth a flower from deserted land.
By Carmen Black4 years ago in Families
Dear Mom
Dear Mom, I wanted to honor you with the Southern Bell send off you desired. A room full of flowers and family all loving you gently while you expired. We did not get that, the absence of it, the harsh way you were pulled from this world initiated my break down. Wishing for a different experience and not able to create it, I began to run again, through all the darkness and the mist, I lost myself, awake in a nightmare, unable to fall asleep and rest.
By Saffron Sage4 years ago in Families
We can’t always find what we lose
Dear Mama, I lost your ruby red earrings before you died. I know, I know. You always said I was too clumsy to wear your jewelry, but I couldn’t help myself. It was something about the hold of them, the way I always found every excuse to be closer to you. It was also just the fact that they were bright red and calling to me. I wanted to wear something that stood out, and they were right there.
By mak 4 years ago in Families
Casualties
Miranda fixed her eyes on the sky. The soldiers lowered the flag-draped casket on the jet’s platform elevator. It made a sudden jolt downward then smoothed out into a steady, humming descent. The Marines in short-collared uniforms moved as automatons--straight-backed, eyes at attention. She unraveled a handkerchief from her fist and reached under the wraparound sunglasses to pat the tenderness under her eyes. She noticed small things: the whiteness of the honor guard’s gloves, the thick smell of jet fuel, the curling edges of paperwork clamped to a clipboard, the distant scream of a widebody’s engines taxiing for takeoff. She looked at the sky again, searching for something to focus on. She hugged herself. Her leather jacket felt icy under her fingertips, bloodless.
By Trudy Swenson4 years ago in Families