Articles by Gary Roe
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,...
Finding Hope Again
"I'll always grieve, but I'll somehow learn to live again," Will said. Will's son Adam had a complicated childhood. His mom left when he was three. He didn't remember her, but he never got over it. Though Will did a marvelous job as a single parent, Adam struggled....
When You Miss Their Voice
There’s nothing quite like someone’s voice. It’s a signature of sorts. Some voices are like music to our ears. They announce the presence of someone we love and delight in. Just the sound of their voice brings a smile of joy. When someone exits, their voice goes...
Grief, Anxiety, and Panic Attacks
“What’s happening to me?” Maureen asked, her voice trembling. “I’m nervous. I shake inside. I wake up panicky in the middle of the night. I can’t settle down. Yesterday, I had an anxiety attack in the grocery store,” she continued. “I seem to be anxious all the time,...
When the past complicates our grief…
In grief, we sometimes carry extra baggage we're unaware of. Wounds from the past can exert their influence and complicate the present. Grief is tough enough, without this extra weight. A mountain of regret Years ago, I had a serious conversation with a...
We speak their name…
Recently, I had the honor of speaking at Hospice Brazos Valley's Celebration of Life service. Over 200 people came, some with pictures in hand, to pay tribute to and honor loved ones who died over the last year. As I looked out at this sea of faces, I could see the...
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