grief
Losing a family member is one of the most traumatic life events; Families must support one another to endure the five stages of grief and get through it together.
Anguish into Passion
When I was little, and people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I would tell them I wanted to be a mom. I married young and was eager to live my dream. That dream, however, soon became my nightmare. By rushing into a marriage with the first guy who asked I found myself trapped in a mentally and emotionally abusive marriage to an alcoholic. To say this “Man” was possessive, and controlling was an understatement. During the five years we were married he would lock me in our apartment while he went to work. He was Army and stationed in Germany. The door locked from the inside and out by a deadbolt with only one key. I was not allowed to go anywhere unless he was with me. Then when he was home, he would follow me around the house and even to the bathroom while I showered. I had four miscarriages while married to him. I finally found the courage to leave him after five years of abuse; even though he threatened to commit suicide if I did.
By Callie R Brown5 years ago in Families
Grief: That one small word
Grief.Death.Sadness. These three words stink at any age and most times are connected. I am definitly no newbie to grief and I know the battlefield it takes to recover from these three little words. When examining grief their are 12 actions and 5 stages that occur. When you go through grief you go through the following stages.
By Hannah Lovell5 years ago in Families
When you don't feel enough
"Mother's Day! Oh, we need to organise what to do for Mother's Day!" My sisters-in-law gathered excitedly around their mother, giggling like teenagers instead of the thirty-somethings they were. They began to discuss options whilst I carried on showing my husband's niece photos of my cat on my phone, whom she adored.
By Kristie Lawrence5 years ago in Families
Memories Are Sometimes Louder
There's something about death that's so uncomfortable, and truthfully I almost didn't even write this article because of this. People expect that when someone close to you dies, you're immediately expected to move on. No questions asked, but truthfully you go from outwardly grieving to silently internalizing- and that's the part truthfully that isn't talked about. Silently coping with how to pick up the pieces, and it seems like you are alone.
By Kayla Lindley5 years ago in Families
Mothers, Brothers and Others Left Behind
Obviously the loss of a loved one is earth-shattering for just about anyone. Losing a loved one unexpectedly is mind numbing. Losing a teenage child to suicide is completely debilitating… for a time. I must confess, I had already considered the awful thought. I used to rock them to sleep at night and sang to them (all my babies). Simon and Garfunkel, John Denver, mostly Don McLean. When I got to the part in “Starry, Starry Night” where Van Gogh commits suicide I always hummed that part… “…and when no hope was left in sight on that starry, starry night you took your life as lovers often do…” but I could have told you, Robbie, “this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you.”
By Sarah White5 years ago in Families
I will miss you
It was the called the rocked my world. The words that I didn't want to hear on my drive home from having fun. I thought that we would have more time to spend together but that was not to happen. I flew like the wind to get to your house. They have already taken you to the funeral home.
By Terri Rosall5 years ago in Families
Oh, How Time Flies on Motionless Wings
I don’t remember much about the days after I learned of my Robbie’s decision. There was a lot of wailing, a lot of denial, a lot of wishing that it was all a horrible dream from which I would mercifully soon awaken. At the same time all I wanted to do was sleep. At least in my dreams I stood the chance of seeing my precious boy. This side of consciousness was much too gut wrenchingly real. So I cried, I slept, I begged the universe to “not let it be true”. “No! No! No!” I thought, perhaps if I just kept yelling, “No!”
By Sarah White5 years ago in Families
Society’s reaction to my choice of leading a childless life
It’s not easy to lead a childless life. When I talk about the problems faced by young parents, I am well aware of the problems faced by childless couples as well. It’s not like we are not sacrificing anything to lead a life of our choice. But, we accept our sacrifices. My husband and I have made peace with the fact that we cannot do everything with so little time we get in a life. We have spent sleepless nights to figure out our future. This acceptance helps us to stand tall and face the consequences. But we could only wish our choices were acceptable to the people around us as well. Because we don’t want to lose them. We want them to accept us and our choices. I love these people and want to live around them.
By The Butterfly In Me5 years ago in Families
Feeling Lost: The Loss of my Dad
My dad died when I was 15. I was in 9th grade at the time. My dad was a hard working man. He was a diabetic but overall took good care of himself. He developed a brain tumor early that June and was sent to physical rehab before coming home. His blood sugar dropped after returning home that August and was rushed to the hospital. For two weeks he was in the ICU, then was moved to hospice before he passed away.
By Rachel Slater5 years ago in Families
For Oliver
I am going to die today, and I have made my peace with that. Before me stretched out, miles and miles of repulsively barren desert. Not a tree, not a cactus or shrub, not even a couple measly blades of desert grass; just a glaze on the horizon and the treacherous majesty of the sun. I shield my eyes and with a discernible amount of effort I look at that treacherous, disloyal, scathing, bastard sun; I thought you were the giver of life, I yell in my mind, my mouth too dry to speak, how can you betray us like this with death? It was getting hard to pick up my feet from the sand. Why are you forcing yourself to suffer? The Voice said. Shut up. I respond. Remember Oliver? The Voice whispers sinisterly, are you punishing yourself? My heart starts to race. I was nearly frothing from the mouth now. I stopped and flung my pack off my back. “Shut UP” I yell, swerving around and around, raising my fists. My ankle buckles beneath me and I can’t catch myself in time. I take a mouth full of sand and don’t have enough saliva to spit it out. I don’t have strength to rise. Panic bubbles in my throat for a minute then dissipates. This is how it’s going to end? The Voice taunts, how many cannibals and bandits have you fought off to die of thirst in the desert? Enough, now. I plead.
By Aubree Unruh 5 years ago in Families
MAMA WAS A SPITFIRE
Mother, in most ways, was normal. When my mom was young, right up until she became elderly, she was still a very attractive woman. Although her natural wavy blonde hair had turned white, her twinkling blue eyes remained young, playful, mischievous and precocious right to the end.
By Len Sherman5 years ago in Families
