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During COVID-19, VITAS Understands & Supports Those Grieving a Sudden Loss By Robby Bolden, MDiv For many people, dying is a time of turning inward, of drawing near to those who matter most and sharing deeply meaningful, human moments. On both sides of the bed, the mood may oscillate between deep loneliness and the most […]
Continue Readingby Anne Galt Saying goodbye to a beloved animal companion is hard at the best of times. But now, with so much isolation and uncertainty, the loss of that familiar comforting presence can seem unbearable. How can you cope when so much of normal life is already turned upside down? Much of the country is […]
Continue ReadingBy Gregory Smith, MD I first published these thoughts on 9-11-09. I thought I would share them with you again today in 2020 in a different context that is no less serious, traumatic and important to us and our mental health as Americans. In the first iteration of this column, I reflected on the tragedy […]
Continue ReadingEditor’s Note: we usually publish articles about grief brought on by the loss of a loved one. This week, we are reprinting an article from the Mayo Clinic about grieving the loss of one’s normal routine during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Coronavirus grief: Coping with the loss of routine during the pandemic By Mayo Clinic Staff […]
Continue Readingby Nancy Sharp If I collected a dollar for every fearful thought I’ve had over the years, I’d never lack for funds. Imagine the good in the world I could do. Fear was once my regular companion. As a young professional, I worried about my career and whether I was making the right choices. I […]
Continue ReadingDear one – (Yes, you, the one holding this paper; the one in the scrubs or the white coat, the one with the long list of tasks and the endless needs of patients, the one being rushed back to the phones or to the cleaning cart or the meal trays – you!) Listen. You are […]
Continue Readingby Jessica Williams Grieving comes easily for no one. And yet, it is something every person on this earth will experience in one way or another. For grief, loss, the deep painful feeling of emptiness, is born of the lack of the only other thing that all of us share – connection. Of course, we […]
Continue ReadingEditor: This is the poem I chose for Fathers Day, written by David Harkins. You will find both a ‘he’ and a ‘she’ version on the web. I chose the ‘he’ because it says what I want about the passing of a father. I’ve learned that Harkins wrote it as the ‘she’ version, and that […]
Continue Reading“We’re All Anxious, Sweetie.” The sign said, “Keep your windows rolled up. Pull up slowly to the first table, put your car in park, and wait for instructions.” A masked and energetic man came to the driver’s side of my car and held a printed sign up to my window which read: “Please call me […]
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