by Gary Roe | Courageous Living, Death and dying, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Healing, Healing from the past, Holiday grief, Loneliness, Relationships
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...
by Gary Roe | Death and dying, Decision-making, Depression, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Holiday grief, Loneliness, Relationships, Stress Management
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...
by Gary Roe | Courageous Living, Death and dying, Decision-making, Depression, divorce recovery, Emotional pain, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Healing, Healing from trauma, Holiday grief, Loneliness, Love, Peace, Relationships, Stress Management, Suffering and Pain, Trauma recovery
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...
by Gary Roe | Death and dying, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Healing, Healing from the past, Hospice stories, Loneliness, Love, Peace, Suffering and Pain
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...
by Gary Roe | Death and dying, divorce recovery, Emotional pain, Fear, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Healing, Healing from the past, Healing from trauma, Holiday grief, Hospice stories, Loneliness, Love, Peace, Suffering and Pain
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...
by Gary Roe | Anxiety, Courageous Living, Death and dying, divorce recovery, Emotional pain, Fatigue and Exhaustion, Fear, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Healing, Loneliness, loss of a spouse, Physical symptoms, Purpose and meaning, Sadness, Trauma recovery
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...
