Finding Ways to Celebrate Special Days After Loss
My mother died one warm September evening nearly 20 years ago, and I remember well the first holiday season that followed—the…
Finding Strength to Survive a Crisis or Tragedy
By Eugenie G. Wheeler Your world has fallen apart…but your life goes on. You wonder how you will ever get through…
Grieving at Christmas: A Family Guide
by Valerie Dillon Therapists and hotlines report an increase in calls during the Christmas holidays. It is no surprise, given the…
Five Things to Consider as You Prepare to Retire
by Norma Schuh
Until recently, retirement from the work force or from managing a household (or whatever activities and obligations engaged you in earlier years) implied you were soon to be following a downward spiral. In previous generations, where lon…
Ten Ways to Honor a Deceased Loved One at Christmas
by Kass Dotterweich
The first Christmas after my father died was extremely difficult; the second was a little better. The third was just a few weeks away when I received a shoebox-shaped package from my sister. When I called her to say the package had …
Advance Care Planning: Help for Making Care Decisions Now and for the Future
by Mary Lynne Knighten
Are you one of the 70% of people who does not have an advance care plan (ACP)?
Advance care planning is the process of planning for future medical care. ACP is an ongoing course of action whereby patients, family members, and hea…
End-of-Life Concerns: A Guide for Families
by Rev. Daniel H. Grossoehme, BCC Juan was in his mid-thirties and sitting up in his hospital bed when I met…
Aging | CareNotes | Family Caregiving | Grief
Dealing With Family Conflict as a Loved One is Dying
Even though the steps through grief can be similar, the way each family member moves through the process is unique. Such…
Caring for Yourself When You’re Caring for Someone Ill
Taking care of yourself when a loved one needs you may seem like a selfish idea. “How could I possibly rest…
Handling the Heartbreak When a Baby Dies
These are the voices of parents of some of the many thousands of children who are stillborn, who die as newborns,…