Grief Archives | Abbey Caskets

Grieving at Christmas: A Family Guide

Therapists and hotlines report an increase in calls during the Christmas holidays. It is no surprise, given the heightened expectations we all have, the constant images of families together and rejoicing, our own memories of joyful Christmases past. But this year is different, because you have lost a loved one.

06Feb

Cherishing Your Memories of a Loved One

Memories are personal. Whether it’s simply speaking the name of your beloved one, holding a ceremony to honor his or her memory, or revisiting a favorite place or activity you shared, the key is to make and preserve connections. Here are a few ideas to help you strengthen cherished connections with someone you

17Oct

Finding the Strength to Go On After the Death of a Child

When my daughter, Judy, died after being in a coma for five months, I thought I could not survive the grief. Those five months were a roller coaster of hope and despair that began in August and ended with Judy’s death the following January. The tender love of a parent for a child may be the purest and most

31May

Helping a Child Grieve and Grow

When our firstborn was new, I read a news story about the brutal murder of a child. A mother tiger roared in my soul as I read the story, and I realized to what great lengths we go to guard our offspring. That protective instinct is essential to our children’s survival. We baby-proof our homes; we teach the danger

14Dec

Finding Comfort for Your Grief in Christmas Traditions

As the holiday classic by Meredith Wilson merrily observes, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!” Houses twinkle with thousands of lights and through windows you can see the glow of Christmas trees. Cheery holiday tunes are playing nearly everywhere you go. Shops are filled with holiday shoppers and

19Sep

Grief: The Loss of Something Good

“Day by day remind yourself that you are going to die.” —The Rule of St. Benedict, Ch. 4 Bell no. 5 tolls … One stroke for each year of profession … A monk has died. The toll of the bell is the way death is announced in the life of the monastery. The bell has scarcely finished tolling out the years before the

15Dec

Ways to Cope with Holiday Grief

The Holiday season can be an emotional and stressful time, especially after the loss of a loved one. Here are six ways to make your season a little easier. Spend time with people who restore your spirits. Your family and friends understand that you are hurting this holiday season. Surround yourself with people who

01Dec

The Holidays After Losing a Loved One

The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are usually a joyful season, a time for traditional family gatherings that become a source of countless treasured memories for years to come. Ironically, that’s also what can make the holidays so difficult after the loss of loved one. When lingering grief meets the feelings

27Oct

All Saints Day and All Souls Day

Right after our children celebrate Halloween in all its candy-collecting glory, the Catholic community takes pause to celebrate a far more significant kind of glory – that recognized by the Church with All Saints Day and All Souls Day. All Saints Day has been celebrated on Nov. 1 for more than a thousand years. It

Grief

Grieving at Christmas: A Family Guide

Cherishing Your Memories of a Loved One

Finding the Strength to Go On After the Death of a Child

Helping a Child Grieve and Grow

Finding Comfort for Your Grief in Christmas Traditions

Grief: The Loss of Something Good

Ways to Cope with Holiday Grief

The Holidays After Losing a Loved One

All Saints Day and All Souls Day

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