Gardening and Grief “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow” – Audrey Hepburn Gardening can reduce the feelings of grief. Some of the benefits of gardening include improved physical health, emotional well being as well as increased...
Grief and Gratitude I have spoken to parents about their kids since my first job right out of college where I worked as a counselor in a drug treatment program with teens and their parents. This was the early 70’s and I was only a few years older than many of...
It is Spring and with it comes color, and sunshine, gardens and allergies, and for many of us,memories of the times spent with our children: delight over their first steps, Little League games, track meets, soccer tournaments, first trips to the beach, plans for the...
“If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart, I’ll stay there forever.” – Winnie the Pooh It’s been a year this month that my family and I lost my brother Ralphie. Not a second goes by that we don’t miss and love him. The love,...
Acute, Integrated and Complicated Grief There are three categories of grief that one can be experiencing throughout the grief journey: acute, integrated, and complicated. Acute grief is the early response to loss that can be intense and all- encompassing. It can...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] I had just finished writing my monthly column for the COPE April Newsletter when I turned the TV on and saw a commercial for 60 Minutes, a news show on CBS. Not a show I ever watch, the teaser for the next segment caught my...
COPE: What originally drew you to COPE and its mission? What has kept you engaged? Jane: I was originally drawn to COPE a few weeks after my daughter Jennifer had passed away at 15. My girlfriend had seen a small ad about COPE. At the same time, my Rabbi called...
I’ve always found the concepts of heaven and hell rather difficult to swallow and I’m not certain I believe in the kind of afterlife where we meet up with our lost loved ones and spend the rest of eternity together. The former smacks too much of a system...
Loss by Suicide According to a report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide rates for adults in the United States are on the rise; since 1999, suicide rates in 25 states increased by more than 30%. In the US, suicide...
I saw something on COPE’s Facebook page that said, “Grief is love that has no place to go.” I commented on it because it sounded so lovely. But I have been thinking about it and for me, it is more complicated than that. I don’t love my son any less today than ten...
