Articles by Gary Roe
SHATTERED: Surviving the Loss of a Child has been released!
Losing a child is a terrible thing. And that’s a gross understatement. As many of you know, I have been working on a new book for bereaved parents and grandparents. It has been a difficult and emotional project. We’re pleased to announced that the electronic version...
Merry Christmas, from me to you
Merry Christmas. Not all of us feel merry. Perhaps none of us do. For those in grief, this time will be emotional, hard, and unpredictable. This holiday is uncharted territory. We've never been here before, at this particular time and place. This can be unsettling and...
When Holidays Hurt: 3 Keys to Survival
December is upon us. Ah, the holidays. Halls, houses, and lawns are decked with festive decorations. Kitchens are filled with delightful, savory aromas. The air is laced with laughter, familiar music, and the tinkling of Salvation Army bells. The holiday spirit is...
When SPECIAL DAYS bring SADNESS
One Sunday afternoon when I was fifteen, my dad had a massive heart attack and collapsed in front of me. They resuscitated him at the hospital, but he never regained consciousness. For a week I sat by his bed and talked about anything and everything that came into my...
Will the Hurt Ever End?
Missing someone is painful. Will the hurt ever end? “I kept waiting for the pain to stop. Some things got easier with time, some didn’t. Right now, there is this deep, dull ache in the recesses of my heart,” Noel confided. She paused and looked at her hands in her...
When the Pain Becomes Fresh Again
Pain runs deep. Early scars are powerful, and sink into the darkest recesses of the heart. Catastrophic wounds can throw us into survival mode for a while. No matter how old the wound, with the right trigger, the pain can become incredibly fresh again. Grief is like...
When Half Your Heart is Gone
Physically, it’s hard to imagine being able to survive with half a heart. Emotionally, that’s what some wounds and losses feel like. Gone, Just Like That “I’m devastated. Half my heart is gone. How does a man live with half a heart?” Robert asked. “We had...
When Grief Steals Our Oxygen
Life can take our breath away. Literally. “It’s constant. I had no idea how hard it would be. The depth of the grief is astounding,” Maggie shared. “Sometimes I feel like I can’t even catch my breath.” Maggie’s husband Ted had died of pancreatic cancer six months...
When Loss Steals Our Dreams
Kids dream. For them, anything is possible. Then we grow up. We take some hits. Life doesn’t go the way we planned. We lose – relationships, jobs, opportunities, and people. The dreams morph over time. Then, well, they mostly disappear. And our broken hearts settle...
When We Long for What We Had
When we experience something good, it seems to be human nature to try and duplicate it. “Last time it was wonderful. I’m going to do it the same way again!” “God answered my prayer when I prayed that way. I’ve found the secret. I’m going to pray like that every...
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