MartyT

Beautiful. Just --- beautiful. Thank you for sharing ❤️

I'm so sorry for your loss, my friend. These death-day anniversaries really can pack a whallop, and it can seem as if we're right back where we started on this grief journey, as if we've made no progress at all. The loss feels as fresh as it did at the beginning, and it feels as if we must start the grief process all over again. This may be a good time to reconnect with the therapist you saw when this first happened. Sometimes all it takes to get back on track is some reassurance that the progress you've already made is real. Your story brings to mind a number of writings that I hope you will find helpful. Although the individual circumstances in these stories may differ a bit from your own, I think you'll find some useful similarities here ~ and note the additional resources listed at the base of each: In Grief: Mourning A Lost Love Death of A Friend: A Disenfranchised Grief In Grief: Death of A Possibility

Kim, my dear, feeling as alone and isolated as you do, this might be a good time to explore what in-person bereavement resources are available in your community. Especially at this time of year, many hospice organizations, churches, or funeral homes offer special community-based grief programs to guide participants in navigating the holidays. This might be a wonderful way for you to meet others and establish some friendships . . . Lots of ideas here: Coping with The Holidays ❤️

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We're so sorry for your loss, my dear ~ and we all know how much it hurts ❤️

Kay, your tree is beautiful! Kudos to you for being determined enough to put it up and decorate it! Wanna come and do mine now?! ❤️

Coping with The Holidays: Suggested Resources The holidays can be difficult enough already, but for those impacted by significant loss, they can be a real challenge. Fortunately help is available, both online and in person, as individuals and communities rally to offer information, comfort and support to the bereaved and those who care for them. As I've done in years past, I will be searching throughout the season for helpful articles and reliable resources that I can recommend and share with all of you. Here you'll find links to the resources I’ve gathered so far this year, which I hope you will find informative and useful. Over the next several weeks I’ll be building upon this list each day, so I encourage you to check back often to see what’s been added. Remember, too, that at this time of year, many hospices offer special community-based grief programs to guide participants in navigating the holidays while still honoring their loved ones. Contact your local hospice's bereavement services department to learn what may be available in your community. Read on here >>>

My dear, your Bean is absolutely precious ~ and what a darling photo you've shared with us! I can only imagine how painful it must be for you even to think of losing him. Sadly, however, the life span of our beloved animal companions is so much shorter than our own, and it seems as if your Bean is nearing that dreaded time, as his kidneys may be failing and his body begins to be shutting down. I know that doesn't make it any easier to bear ~ but it is a reality that we all must face one day, if we ever decide to give our hearts to our fur babies, as you have done with Bean. I want to point you to a number of readings that I hope will help as you deal with whatever lies ahead. Note that each article includes links to related resources, too: Pet Loss: Waiting for Biopsy Results Anticipating the Death of A Cherished Pet Pet Euthanasia: When Is It Time to Say Goodbye?

7 Reasons Doctors Are Leaving Medicine

My friend, I am so sorry for your loss, and I assure you that every one of us here understands and shares in your pain. Clearly your love for this fur baby is no different from the love you have for every other member of your family ~ and the pain you're feeling now is but a measure of that love. We don't mourn for those we do not love. I hope you will allow yourself permission not only to feel this pain, but also to find ways to express it. This is not unlike releasing the steam in a pressure cooker so the contents won't explode. As the saying goes, we can't heal what we don't feel. I'm a firm believer in learning all we can about the grief that accompanies pet loss, because it helps us better understand our own reactions and helps us to feel less "crazy" and alone. One way to do that is to do some reading. Take some time to explore some of the threads in this forum. Read some of the articles I've listed below. And know that we are here for you. ❤️ Pet Loss: A Disenfranchised Grief Pet Loss: Is It a Different Kind of Grief? Is Pet Loss Comparable to Loss of a Loved One? Pet Loss: Why Does It Hurt So Much? Pet Loss: When Guilt Goes Unresolved Pet Loss: When Guilt Overshadows Grief

Sharing: Trouble Gaining Access to Medical Records? ❤️

Short Wave from NPR: What happens in the brain when we grieve November 8, 202112:10 AM ET When we lose someone or something we love, it can feel like we've lost a part of ourselves. And for good reason—our brains are learning how to live in the world without someone we care about in it. Host Emily Kwong talks with psychologist Mary-Frances O'Connor about the process our brains go through when we experience grief. Her book, The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss, publishes February 1, 2022. Click here to listen to the podcast (16-minute listen) and / or read the transcript: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1052498852

You might find some of the topics in this forum to be helpful: Tools for Healing As we travel our individual grief journeys, we may find it helpful to return to activities of self-expression that satisfy or relax us, or we may discover new ones that bring us comfort and relief, helping us to feel calmer, more relaxed and less stressed. Here we can recommend and share whatever helps us feel informed, cared for and nurtured: the ideas, tools, resources and practical information we can revisit and use throughout our grief experience (books, music, videos, meditations, quotations, poetry, art, writings, webinars, seminars and the like).

To Marg ~ from all of us ❤️

Oh Laura! It's so good to hear from you again ~ but I'm so sorry to learn this devastating news! Please keep us posted on your progress, and know that we are here for you as you face this latest challenge. You are in our thoughts and prayers . . . ❤️

I'm so sorry to learn this sad news about your mom, my dear. You will make it through this, just as you've made it through all the other significant losses you've indured: one moment, one hour, one day at a time. You are not alone. Please know that we're all thinking of you and holding you gently in our hearts . . . ❤️

I can only echo Ruby's words, my dear. You've every right to be feeling as you do ~ dumbstruck and angry ~ and I too am so very sorry these tragic losses are happening to you and your family. My heart hurts for you . . . ❤️

I'm so sorry that you're going through all of this, my dear, and feeling so alone in the process. In addition to the readings Kay has mentioned, I'm hoping you'll find these helpful too. (Note that each article includes links to related resources as well). Anticipatory Grief and Mourning Coping with A Cancer Diagnosis: Suggested Resources In Grief: "I Didn't Want My Mom To See Me Cry"

Your writing is simply beautiful, dear Kay ~ and a tribute to Mother Nature and her Creator. Thank you for sharing! ❤️

Anxiety Attacks in Grief: Tools for Coping ❤️