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.

Nina’s Gift
I awoke to screams. My body jumped reflexively and I nearly fell off the bed. A soft chuckle arose from beside me. Then I remembered. “That fucking rooster,” I grumbled.
By Maya Kanda5 years ago in Families
Lost Then Found
I first landed in his weary hands as a stocking stuffer, almost an after-thought of a gift. The other presents needed to be plugged in, turned on, ruled by a complex set of operations. By contrast, within my sleek, black covers, I was holding an invitation for the soul. I was fed by the human heart and by marks that spoke volumes or cried quiet tears.
By Sung Uni Lee5 years ago in Families
Flowers from Mom
When I received the call that my mother had died, my first thought was that she’d never send me roses again. Like clockwork, my mother would send roses to my apartment on the first of every month. It was her way of saying hello, of reminding me that she existed.
By Jewel 5 years ago in Families
With Much Love Our Son
“Are you sure about this?” Claire asked. “We don’t have any other options,” Elijah answered as they made their way up the dirt road to were it intersected with another road. “We’re here.”
By Dean Hajji5 years ago in Families
The Book of Life
I remember very little about the days after my mum died. It wasn’t a complete surprise of course, she had cancer, and the last time I saw her she looked incredibly frail. But even though we knew it was coming one day, I didn’t know it would be that day, and the call from my brother at 5am was more shock and silence than it was talking.
By Francis Briers5 years ago in Families
The Funeral
“To my daughter Catherine, I leave you, my house. I hope the walls will remind you of the safety of childhood in these uncertain times.”
By Emily Bennett5 years ago in Families
The Last Word
“I don’t understand why you felt the need to come” “To make sure you’re alright.” It was opportunistic, really, a chance to get the last word.
By Georgia Toews5 years ago in Families
An Unexpected Trip
An Unexpected Trip by L.L. Beck It was a haunted and rainy evening in October on All Hollow’s Eve in Scotland. She has just landed in Edinburgh after a long arduous flight from Seattle. This was not a pleasure trip, although she had always had a deep desire to return to her family roots. She had received a phone call a few days earlier from the Royal Edinburgh Hospital that her long-lost father was dying from a terminal illness- Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer, an illness which he had chosen not to share with a soul until now. These hours and minutes were precious and more so as she would never have had a close relationship with him after he left her in the States. After landing in at the airport, she hailed a cab to take her to the Hospital. Her journey to see her estranged Faither was met with anxiety and mixed emotions, would he accept her visit, could he ever forgive her for being so angry with him? Angry for leaving her behind in Seattle.
By Lisa Beck5 years ago in Families
A Father's Gift
Rain poured down on the roof of the car as she sat behind the wheel, head in her hands as tears flowed down her cheeks. She grabbed her wallet to find she had only $10 left to her name and her last job interview had not gone so well. Sara Parsons was broke. Having just graduated from a top school, she had spent all her time and effort into getting good grades. Now she was left with a pile of student loans and no job prospects. Grabbing a tissue, she wiped her tears as she heard her phone ring.
By Jessica Wetter5 years ago in Families
Stay Low, Stay Quiet, and for Heaven’s Sake, Don’t Get Caught
“Hey – hey you.” The two big brown eyes peeking around the door of room 203 widened. Not more than 4 feet off the ground in a sea of adults, Ayla saw only waist-high.
By Keane Neal-Riquier5 years ago in Families
Scratchcards
I take a scratch card and hope to be a better person. But I’m not the man I wanted to be when I was younger. This fact follows me through the blur (distinguishing days is often too heavy a task so I invest my energy in moving) and I find myself in limbo. Between having the power to hope for better but without the resources to do it. I sometimes imagine what I would say to him, the young boy with dreams like pinprick stars on a clear night and wonder if I could tell him about the unending cloud that covers them now. I hope we never meet.
By Lois Hall5 years ago in Families
One Last Time
Dappled sunlight reflected through the coloured glass panels of the conservatory. Books sat, piled in impossibly high mounds. Papers were strewn haphazardly about, a single clean path set out between the door and my Aunt’s writing desk. Nothing here seemed out of place, nothing would have told the truth.
By Erin A. Sayers5 years ago in Families