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Natural Disasters: How Grief Can Help Us to Help Others? By Jessica Fender Introduction Natural disasters, such as tsunamis or tornadoes, are catastrophic events where people lose their properties, livelihoods, and in many cases their lives. If you happen to experience a severe natural disaster, you will remember it for the rest of your life. […]
Continue ReadingMourning Heroes It is only a few days since observed the 20th year since 9/11. I hesitate to call it an “anniversary” since the word usually conveys a joyous occasion. The song is about a firefighter who did not die on 9/11, but the sentiment applies to all who rush toward what most of us […]
Continue ReadingBy Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D. We as a nation will never be “done” mourning the loss of 2,977 lives lost during the attack on September 11, 2001. On that Tuesday morning at the World Trade Center in New York, more than 2,700 people died, among them over two thousand people working at the Twin Towers, […]
Continue ReadingBy Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D. “If you are seeking a time when you will be finished, you will never be done.” – Tibetan saying In these contemporary times, you may be led to believe that you need to achieve “closure” after the death of someone in your life. As a matter of fact, you may […]
Continue Readingby Melissa Howard A study of grief and its impact on widows and widowers revealed that nearly one-third of subjects suffered detrimental effects to their mental and/or physical well-being. Those effects included the risk of suicide and death from heart disease and a host of psychological problems. Roughly a quarter were found to be […]
Continue Readingby Anthony Martin, Founder & CEO, Choice Mutual When people watch news reports about death, natural disasters, terrorist attacks or school shootings, they may feel confused and scared. Maybe they worry about themselves and the safety of their family and friends. These events disrupt our way of life and peace of mind. They can make […]
Continue ReadingEditor’s Note: Five years ago Peggy Amler began a series of posts and poems about the loss of her husband, David. She recently sent me this one that benchmarks her five year journey. I’ve followed it with her first post, “Wasn’t It Just Yesterday?” This is a link to all her publications in AfterTalk: https://blog.aftertalk.com/page/3/?s=amler […]
Continue ReadingA week or so ago, we were visiting with friends who I had not seen since my mother’s death in July. I had forgotten that I had not seen them, and so was not prepared for their very kind words when they first saw me and hugged me. So, I thanked them for their words […]
Continue ReadingAfterTalk’s posts on grieving have been mostly based on Western traditions and Judeo-Christian values. This week and last we posted articles offering Hindu and Buddhist discussions of the grieving process. Confronting Life and Death by Wolf Soujon, Germany “The life of a human being is fleeting,” writes Nichiren, “The exhaled breath never waits for the inhaled […]
Continue ReadingEditor’s Note: AfterTalk’s posts on grieving have been mostly based on Western traditions and Judeo-Christian values. This week and next we are posting articles offering Hindu and Buddhist discussions of the grieving process. How to make room for other people’s grief: A pandemic-era guide from the… At the workplace, the grocery store or in conversation, […]
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