http://bereavementandbeyond.com/blogBLOG RSSFri, 30 Oct 2020 17:07:10 GMTFri, 30 Oct 2020 17:07:10 GMThttp://bereavementandbeyond.com/blog/valentine-s-day-reflectionsValentine’s Day is fast approaching.  I bought some chocolates the other day and wondered why I did that.  I suppose I somehow felt I should.  I took off my coat and sat and stared at the box of sweets for a while.  I began to think about all of the commercials I’d been seeing lately featuring happy couples walking along white beaches against the backdrop of a fiery sunset, diamonds being gifted by starry-eyed husbands, or nervous boyfriends eagerly awaiting the answers to their chivalrousMon, 08 Mar 2021 20:06:35http://bereavementandbeyond.com/blog/valentine-s-day-reflectionshttp://bereavementandbeyond.com/blog/dancing-reedsDelicate reeds dance like graceful ballerinas as the wind blows in off the water.  Suddenly they stand motionless, like a woman holding her breath awaiting the return of her lover.  They bend sideways, as if catching a glimpse of his boat sailing back into the harbor. The slender beauties sway gently back and forth as if to say to the weary sailor, ​​“Welcome home, my love.  Welcome home.”Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:00:18http://bereavementandbeyond.com/blog/dancing-reedshttp://bereavementandbeyond.com/blog/why-won-t-my-pain-go-awayLoss can be indescribably painful.  The trauma of losing someone we love and need, or even someone we have no personal relationship with, can set off emotional reactions that can take us by surprise.  Whirlpools of emotion created by loss often pull us in, overpower us, and can sometimes turn us upside down, making it nearly impossible to maintain any sort of emotional and psychological equilibrium.  The trauma that comes from loss can serve to trigger feelings that may have been stored inFri, 08 Jan 2021 19:03:07http://bereavementandbeyond.com/blog/why-won-t-my-pain-go-awayhttp://bereavementandbeyond.com/blog/where-can-i-go-with-my-sadnessSometimes it feels as if our sadness is too much to bear.  The tears flow and the pain we experience continues to cause our hearts to feel as if they are endlessly breaking.  Our guts feel as if they are twisting inside of us and somehow we cannot find any solace in the words of our friends or family.When I’ve felt that horrendous pain rise up in me and form a wave that feels as if it’s going to break right on top of me, if I am able, I take a moment.  Just one moment to breathe.  A pauseWed, 06 Jan 2021 11:02:38http://bereavementandbeyond.com/blog/where-can-i-go-with-my-sadnesshttp://bereavementandbeyond.com/blog/what-do-i-say-to-someone-who-is-dyingPerhaps one of the most uncomfortable, intimidating, and unnerving challenges within the spectrum of human experience is trying to converse with someone who is dying.  Does one acknowledge this tragic truth, or does one try to go in the opposite direction by bringing up topics that are infused with life and that have nothing to do with dying, but all to do with living? How does one greet someone who is dying?  Asking them how they’re doing seems terribly awkward when faced with the prospect ofSat, 02 Jan 2021 18:45:16http://bereavementandbeyond.com/blog/what-do-i-say-to-someone-who-is-dying