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.
Start With What You Know
The night I learned my dad died I had a nightmare. My teeth kept falling out. My mouth was so delicate that every time I turned my head or whenever my fingertips barely brushed the tip of my jaw, a new tooth would fall out in a bloody mess. I was horrified. I tried desperately to keep the remaining teeth in, stricken with the idea that I wouldn't have a smile anymore. It’s easy to psychoanalyze the dream in retrospect, but at the time I woke up confused, panicked, and anxious. Those feelings stayed with me long after that fitful night of sleep.
By Charis Kaltenecker8 years ago in Families
Remember
My legs shook as if under a hundred times more weight than normal. My mother’s hand felt cold, lifeless, like a dried flower crumbling in the wind. As I let go of her, I turned to face my destination. Thirty feet, then up four steps, then another ten feet to the left. I looked down at the carpet. It was the same color it's always been, and yet today, it seemed monochrome. Up the steps, looking, I saw familiar faces, but I found no ease; no comfort. I turned left, glancing out the glass door at the line of cars. I stopped, attempted to take a breath, but the air eluded me. Looking up, two thousand eyes fixed their gaze on me. I felt their penetrating, tear-filled stare. An eon passed in a matter of seconds. I found air. Blood rushed to my head. I felt a heartbeat in my throat. I pulled out my phone, fumbling to open the words I spent hours crafting. The screen came to life, and I began to read.
By Hyrum Simms8 years ago in Families
Never as We Planned
It's been years since I’ve seen you. I don’t know what I would do or how I would handle being face to face with you again. My heart could melt, burst, implode or I could feel nothing. Numb to the sight of you, but I know myself; you were a large part of my life, and you broke me when there was already nothing left to break.
By Taylor Somerville8 years ago in Families
Odd Girl Out...
Aside from the abuse itself, the most difficult … painful thing to live with is the loss of the family I grew up with; the only people who have known me since the day I was born. Beyond the lack of validation as they maintain relationships with my abuser (my mother) I am ostracized my only window into their world is Facebook; at times I allow myself bear witness to all that I am not - and will likely never be included in; that’s the dark-side of social media.
By Marnie Grundman8 years ago in Families
An Introspective
About a year ago, in January, I was sat on a train destined for London’s Denmark Hill. There is a hospital there. It is not far from the station and hugely imposing, with corridors so expansive one could easily become lost (and I regularly would). It had been a wonderful Christmas; wonderful, blissful happiness accompanied by a wonderfully blissful sense of ignorance and, I suppose, a youthful hope. In truth, I did not even know that anything could (or indeed would) be wrong. I met my parents at the hospital and, later that day, after confused faces blurred into one tear-marred mirage, a doctor finally decided to admit my mother into the hospital indefinitely. Then, my dad and I drove home, stopping at a restaurant to eat. It was a Saturday night and it was busy and loud, with people simply being wonderfully and blissfully happy. It was an overwhelming typical Saturday night.
By Caragh Taylor8 years ago in Families
