by Gary Roe | Courageous Living, Death and dying, Decision-making, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Healing, Loss of a Child, Purpose and meaning, Relationships, Suffering and Pain
“I’m not the same person. Neither is Dave. Who am I now? Who are we?” asked Alexandra. Alexandra and Dave’s son Duke was their only child. He was a talkative kid, with an active imagination. He was the superhero of the neighborhood, with a...
by Gary Roe | Anniversaries, Death and dying, Depression, Emotional pain, Families and grief, Family relationships, Fatigue and Exhaustion, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Holiday grief, Hope, Loneliness, Loss of a Child, Loss of a friend, Loss of a parent, Loss of a sibling, loss of a spouse, Physical illness, Physical symptoms, Relationships, Sadness, Stress Management
Holidays can make us crazy. Add loss and grief into the mix, and many of us wonder how we’re going to get through this. Holidays can be crazy-making times. “I’m scared. It’s like I’m frozen and can’t move. How do I face life without my husband?” Tina asked....
by Gary Roe | Anxiety, Death and dying, Decision-making, Emotional pain, Families and grief, Family relationships, Fatigue and Exhaustion, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Holiday grief, Hope, Loss of a Child, Loss of a friend, Loss of a parent, Loss of a sibling, loss of a spouse, Stress Management
One Sunday afternoon during the holidays, I ran into Chris and Karen in the grocery store. They seemed to be moving in slow motion, shuffling their feet and staring blankly ahead. I was almost on top of them before they noticed me. They looked exhausted. “Hey guys....
by Gary Roe | Courageous Living, Death and dying, Emotional pain, Families and grief, Family relationships, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Holiday grief, Hope, Loss of a Child, Loss of a friend, Loss of a parent, Loss of a sibling, loss of a spouse, Relationships, Sadness, Stress Management, Suffering and Pain
Sal and Mildred called themselves December people. They were both born in December and were married on Christmas Eve. “We partied all month long!” Mildred said. When Mildred passed in early December, Sal wasn’t surprised. “She waited until our party month. Now she’s...
by Gary Roe | Anxiety, Death and dying, Faith, Fear, Grief and Loss, Healing from the past, Hospice stories, Loneliness, Peace, Physical illness, Purpose and meaning, Relationships, Stress Management, Suffering and Pain
We’re made for relationship. No wonder loss hurts. It crushes our hearts. As a hospice chaplain, I believe one of our greatest fears is feeling alone, left behind, or abandoned. I’ve felt it myself, and I’ve heard it from the hearts of hundreds of others. Steven’s...
by Gary Roe | Abuse Recovery, Death and dying, divorce recovery, Fear, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Guilt, Healing, Healing from the past, Healing from trauma, Holiday grief, Peace, Relationships, Suffering and Pain, Trauma recovery
Worry. Anxiety. Fear. Panic. Most of us are familiar with these things. “I’m having trouble sleeping. My mind won’t settle. I’m nervous and fidgety. I can’t concentrate,” Mary said, gently rocking back and forth. “In fact, I seem to be anxious about everything,” she...
