If you recently lost a loved one, and stumbled across this website as you begin to wade through grief, there are some pages you might want to look at early on.

I hope that you will know happiness again in time. In the meantime, I wish you patience, peace, courage, hope - whatever you need the most right now.

• The first few days - what to do
  • Planning the services (wake/calling hours/funeral/memorial service)
• What to expect when you are bereaved
  • Stages of grief - typical phases most mourners experience
    • Changes - Physical, Social, Mental and Emotional
• I never thought - a poem that gave me hope, and turned out to be true
  • Other Quotes and Poems that have touched me
  • The dragonfly story
  • The nest of the loneliness birds
• The special challenge of dealing with sudden (unexpected) death
  • Denial
  • Searching for answers
• Interrupting rumination - alternative coping strategies
• Why they want you to "get over it"
• Thoughts of suicide
• Grief and safety
• Healing rituals - things you can do that will ease your pain, and honor your lost loved one
• What to do with their stuff
  • What to do with your wedding ring
• Going back to work after a loss
• Things I was mistaken about
• The best and worst advice I got
• Gratitude
• Anger
• Books on grief - for widows, I recommend Widow to Widow
• Links for more information

The blog is pretty raw reading. However, it may make you feel less alone. It may also help you realize that you're not going crazy. You are learning to deal with loss.

MORE

• More on dealing with loss
• Site map