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 | Anniversaries, Depression, Emotional pain, Families and grief, Family relationships, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Holiday grief, Loss of a Child, Loss of a friend, Loss of a parent, Loss of a sibling, loss of a spouse, Stress Management, Suffering and Pain
Holidays can hurt, especially when we’re missing someone. How do we celebrate when our hearts are broken? Where’s the Grinch when you need him? Hurting for the holidays Is it okay to hurt during the holidays? Absolutely. Here are three big reasons why holidays...
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 | Anger management, Anxiety, Depression, divorce recovery, Emotional pain, Families and grief, Family relationships, Forgiveness, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Loss of a Child, Loss of a friend, Loss of a parent, Loss of a sibling, loss of a spouse, Purpose and meaning, Relationships, Sadness, Spiritual suffering, Stress Management, Suffering and Pain, Suicidal thoughts
When loss hits, our world changes. This includes our relationships. People around us tend to over-promise but under-deliver in terms of supporting us in meaningful ways. This leads to more loss. From the Grieving Heart: This would be easier if it weren’t...
by Gary Roe | Courageous Living, Emotional pain, Families and grief, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Healing, Honesty and Transparency, Hope, 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, Stress Management, Suffering and Pain, Worry
Life has changed. Loss has invaded. Grief surfaces everywhere. And yet, everyone around us just wants us to get better – fast. From the Grieving Heart: I feel like a robot. I’m going through the motions. I don’t want to go anywhere or do...
by Gary Roe | Communication, Courageous Living, Emotional pain, Families and grief, Family relationships, Grief and Loss, Grief recovery, Honesty and Transparency, Loneliness, Relationships, Stress Management
Grieving hearts often feel misunderstood, or worse. To say this can be frustrating is a gross understatement. Several years ago, people came to me and said, “Could you please write a book that we can give to other people to help them understand what we’re...