Articles by Gary Roe
When People Disappear and Disappoint
"Where did everyone go? Do we have some kind of disease? Are we contagious?" Sandra said, fire in her eyes. Sandra's daughter Sam was their firstborn. Sam and her little brother Stephen were quite a pair. They were together a lot and grew up close, the best of...
When the Heart and Soul Go Numb
"Everything good seems far away. I'm emotionally and spiritually paralyzed. I feel dead inside," Jack shared. Jack's daughter Chloe was a daddy's girl. She clung to Jack wherever he went. He adored her. Chloe grew up in a stable and loving home. She confronted the...
5 Key Truths for When Grief is Fresh
“This is weird. Everything is different, but it all looks the same. It’s like living in some kind of alternate universe,” Craig shared. “But then I walk into Matthew’s room and the nightmare becomes real all over again.” Craig’s son Matthew contracted spinal...
What we might say, if only others would listen
The world often fails to take grieving hearts seriously. As a result, we often feel misunderstood, judged, or even abandoned. Sadly, we sometimes walk away thinking that we're the problem, that our grief is misplaced, and that we should somehow be over this by now....
Merry Christmas, from me to you
Christmas is upon us. For those who are grieving, our losses swim before our eyes. The memories assault us. Perhaps we manage a smile, but our hearts are broken. Yes, I could talk about 8 tips for handling grief and the holidays or 5 tips for dealing with holiday...
Can’t We Skip the Holidays?
"Christmas? Thanksgiving was an emotional nightmare. Can't we just skip it this year? Where's the Grinch when you need him?" Glenn asked. "I'm planning on hiding. I know it won't work, but I don't know what else to do," Connie added. Glenn and Connie's daughter Skylar...
When Grief and Holidays Collide…
When grief and the holidays meet, the results are often not pretty. I had my first auto accident when I was 16. It was raining, and I took a curve too fast. I spun out of control, popped up the curb, and slammed head-on into a tree. The impact whipped me around,...
When Emotions Hijack Your Life
Life is full of surprises. Some are great. Some are good. Some are, well, not what we would want. Some are painful, even tragic. When we get surprised by a hit – a death, betrayal, affair, divorce, financial disaster, job loss – our hearts shudder. Emotion surges...
How to Handle the Hits of Life
I once asked a hospice patient what his favorite season was. Without hesitation, he responded, "Football season!" It's that time of year. You can sense it. The atmosphere is permeated with that unique Friday-night-lights, Saturday-tailgating,...
Grieving Teens: How All of Us Can Help
Being a teen is tough. I remember. I know you do too. Teens are hurting, and we can help. While trying to make sense of an increasingly confusing and troubled world, teens get hit, again and again, with moves, separations, divorces, rejections, substance abuse,...
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