MartyT

Message received, my friend ~ and may God bless you, too

I'm sorry, Wendy, but I couldn't add the file you sent to me as an attachment to your post. I found this link on the Internet. All I can suggest is for you to ask your friend where the file came from originally, and see if she can determine the original source.

Dawn, dear ~ You might find this article helpful: Mourning: Answering the Question, How Are You?

Dear Friend, Your post reminds me of a topic that appeared in this forum in September of 2006. I think this thread will have resonance for you as well, as it deals with the matter of delayed grief. Just click on this link and you'll go right to it: Is This Grief? See also: Grieving Seven Years after the Death, and note especially my comments about finding someone to talk to, and It's Too Much

Can you hear me breathing a huge sigh of relief, Kay? We've all been so worried about you! Are you familiar with Belleruth Naparstek's guided imagery CD's? They're a wonderfully effective and fairly inexpensive tool for de-stressing. See, for example, Free Stress Relief Imagery Download. (Right about now I think maybe we all need to give this a try )

Oh my dear Cindi, the people in your work setting are badly in need of some grief education. I'm not sure if by "H/R" you mean your Human Resources representative, but if and when you feel up to it, you might print out some of the articles you'll find on the Grief at Work page of my Grief Healing Web site and share them with your supervisor and / or your Human Resources officer. You might also find the material on this page helpful: Helping Someone Who's Grieving. Consider giving an article or two to your husband to read as well, so he'll have a better understanding of what you are experiencing. It also helps to learn as much as you yourself can learn about what is normal (and therefore what is to be expected) in grief, so you can better understand and manage your own reactions. See, for example, Death of a Parent.

Good Heavens, Kay! I don't know what your symptoms were (or still are), but if you truly believe that you had a heart attack, I urge you to get yourself to a hospital as soon as possible! DO NOT drive yourself ~ ask your son to take you! I certainly don't want to scare you, but a heart attack must be taken very seriously, and what you've already experienced could be a preliminary warning that more is yet to come. If what you had was an anxiety attack or something less than a heart attack, let the doctors tell you that, based upon their findings, not based upon your assumptions! You really are not qualified to make that diagnosis. See, for example, Heart Attack Symptoms and Warning Signs. Kay, we love you so much, and you are such a valued member of our GH family. Please don't ignore these symptoms, and please don't wait until morning to see a medical professional about them! I am very worried about you, and I want you to take good care of you!

Good for you, Drew, and thank you for sharing your experience with us, as I think it's so important for others to know. Of course I believe in counseling or I wouldn't be a counselor I think of it as a precious gift we can give to ourselves ~ a gift that can change our lives.

Rosanne, you said, "I know I am just taking baby steps to some here." Please lets not put a label on the size of the steps any of us is taking. This is your journey, your relationship, your loss, and your story. Here in this special place, there will never be a need to minimize or downplay or pass judgment on how quickly any of us is processing our grief, most especially ourselves. Our grief is what it is, and at any given time, each of us is doing the very best we can, given our own unique self and our individual circumstances. Take some of that pressure off yourself. After all, this is not a contest.

Gail, dear ~ Good days, bad days, and everything-in-between days, we are here for you ~ and know that we're all holding you close . . .

Lily, dear ~ I think you will come to find that, even though we cannot touch each other or give each other hugs in the physical sense on this special site, we do know how to give "virtual" hugs, and we certainly do know how to hold one another in our hearts ~ just as we are able to hold our departed loved ones close in our hearts. So go ahead and send Kim some virtual hugs, and know that we are sending them to you, too.

This message comes to us from Lynn Hoffman, chat room hostess for Sandy Goodman's Love Never Dies 4U organization. (Read more about bereaved mother and author Sandy Goodman at Love Never Dies.) As Lnd4u has grown, people who have lost a spouse or significant other have joined. We would like to explore the idea of having a chat support group for those of us who are grieving the loss of a spouse/significant other. If there is enough interest, a group chat will be started. If you have lost a spouse or significant other and would be interested in participating in a chat support group, please contact me at lynn_hoffman@comcast.net Please indicate which night you would prefer, keeping in mind that Lnd4u already has chats scheduled on Mondays and Wednesdays. Thanks Lynn

Hi Gamer, You are not alone in your concerns, but I think the worst thing we can do when someone else is coping with grief (for fear of doing the "wrong" thing) is to do or say nothing at all. I want to point you to some articles that you may find helpful: Helping Another in Grief What is Not Helpful to the Person in Mourning: A List of Don'ts Words of Comfort for the Person in Mourning Words to Avoid When Comforting the Bereaved Common Myths, Misconceptions about Grief When a Child Dies: Do's and Don'ts of Grief Support

Oh my dear Drew, I'm so glad you found your way to us, and so deeply sorry for the reasons that brought you here. Lyn is right ~ you need a place to take your grief and tell every detail of your story of loss, and this is the place to do that. You will find such loving, compassionate people here. Your burden is so heavy, but we are right here beside you, so you won't have to carry it all by yourself. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

I just love you guys . . .

Hi Gamer, I remember you well, and I just wanted to say how nice it is to "see" you here again! It warms my heart to know that you "like to come here when you're feeling down," and I hope you know that you are always, always welcome to come back "home" to us. We like to think of ourselves as a family here, and I hope you'll always think of yourself as one of us.

Wendy, yesterday you asked, Teny, Do you have a website that I can go to? I would love to see your work and buy one of your pots !!! You will find Teny's Web site here: www.teny.gr.

My dear Derek, As I was doing some work on the Internet today, I came across this wonderful video presentation, and I immediately thought of you and Carson. It includes some revealing comments both from siblings whose parent has died and from their surviving parent, as well as some helpful insights from noted grief experts Phyllis Silverman and Linda Goldman. I hope you (and our other members as well) will find it both informative and reassuring: Helping Your Child Cope with Grief

Oh Kim, I'm so very sorry ~ Please know that we are still here for you, and you are being held in gentle thought and prayer by all of us . . .

Dear Ones, Be aware that the Internet has a wealth of information, comfort and support for those of you in the care-giving role. You'll find many such resources listed here: Care Giving

A wonderful piece of writing, Suzanne ~ thank you for sharing!

Kimberley, I'm so sorry for the loss of your beloved Elric, and I hope you are feeling the loving support that surrounds you on this site. You might also find this article helpful: How Long Should You Wait to Replace a Pet Who Has Died?

Dear Ones, The following came to me just now via e-mail from a dear friend, and honestly, when I listened to it, I laughed so hard I cried. I share it with you now, in hopes that it will bring you a moment of laughter, too: This accident happened in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and you must listen to it. It is a phone call from a man who witnesses a car accident involving four elderly women. It was so popular when they played it on CHUM FM that they had to put it on their website. The guy's laugh is contagious. If you close your eyes and picture what he is watching it is even better than a video clip! Click here: http://www.chumfm.com/MorningShow/bits/march24.swf

Dear Ones, If you haven't seen it already, you might want to read this article: Music: Helping to Heal Those Who Grieve (And Walt, how nice to "see" you here again, dear heart )

Love Never Dies (LND4U) Retreat Information Update, received today from Sandy Goodman: The holidays are over and it is time for us to focus on our LND4U Retreat. Where: Enota Mountain Resort When: September 12, 2008, late afternoon through September 14, 2008, at noon Cost: $305.00 What's Included: Dorm bed for two nights, Meals (Supper Fri. through Breakfast Sun.), and Retreat Registration (workshops, presentations, details coming soon!!) The end of February is our deadline for saying "YES! We are doing this!" or "NO, we can't" (and I hate the word CAN'T.) What we decide depends on how many of you and your family and friends have paid a deposit. We need a commitment from 100 people. We have about 25 so far. You can pay your deposit HERE PLEASE share this information with anyone you know who may be interested in attending. If you are not signed up for the LND4U Ezine (i.e. Mailing List) or our Forum, please join us now at the LND4U website. We need you. == Expect Miracles, Sandy P.S. We also have chat tonight HERE . Come on down!