by Gary Roe | Emotional pain, Healing, Loss of a Child, Loss of a friend, Loss of a parent, Loss of a sibling, loss of a spouse, Peace, Purpose and meaning, Self-destructive behaviors, Service, Stress Management, Suffering and Pain, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Teen Grief
Over the past three years, I have personally encountered suicide more than a dozen times. As many of you know, I began this year with research for writing a book to help those who have experienced someone they care about taking their own life. As I collected and read...
by Gary Roe | Abuse Recovery, Death and dying, Depression, divorce recovery, Emotional pain, Faith, Fatigue and Exhaustion, Fear, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Healing from the past, Healing from trauma, Loss of a Child, Loss of a friend, Loss of a parent, Loss of a sibling, loss of a spouse, Purpose and meaning, Spiritual questioning, Spiritual suffering, Suffering and Pain
Life, and grief, can become a treadmill. When I was 12, I had a gerbil named Ralph. He was an interesting, good-natured, and incredibly energetic creature. Confined to a small life in a cage, Ralph ran. And he ran, and ran, and ran. Around and around in...
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 | Courageous Living, Decision-making, Depression, Emotional pain, Families and grief, Family relationships, Fear, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Healing, Hope, Loneliness, Purpose and meaning, Relationships, Service, Suffering and Pain, Worry
2018 was quite a year. First, there were our own personal losses. Deaths. Separations. Estrangements. Illnesses. Rejections. Crushed hopes. The list could go on and on. Then there was the world at large. Political unrest, immigration challenges, market fluctuations,...
by Gary Roe | Courageous Living, Decision-making, Depression, Emotional pain, Faith, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Healing, Hope, Loss of a Child, Loss of a friend, Loss of a parent, Loss of a sibling, loss of a spouse, Love, Purpose and meaning, Relationships, Sadness, Suffering and Pain, Worry
I don’t know about you, but I’m sad today. Six friends of mine died this year, including a young neighbor across the street. Two other friends lost teen sons to suicide. Our family’s beloved optometrist was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’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...
