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Lincoln on Grief It’s reassuring that some Presidents know exactly what to say. Here is Abraham Lincoln’s touching condolence letter to 22-year-old Fanny McCullough, the daughter of a long-time friend: Dear Fanny, It is with deep grief that I learn of the death of your kind and brave Father; and, especially, that it is affecting […]
Continue ReadingLosing a Loved One to a Rare Disease My daughter died of ectopia cordis. My husband and I learned about this birth defect around eighteen weeks into the pregnancy, and we also learned that it meant our daughter’s heart was growing outside her chest. Do you know how rare ectopia cordis is? An estimated 1 […]
Continue ReadingThe Transformative Power of Grief Alana Sheeren believes in love, beauty and the transformative power of grief. After the stillbirth of her son she began writing about her personal journey into grief and whole-self healing. A Reiki Master with a MA degree in clinical and community psychology and a BFA in theater, Alana partners with […]
Continue ReadingWARNING. THIS POST CONTAINS SOME HARSH LANGUAGE THAT SOME OF YOU WILL FIND OBJECTIONABLE. WE APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE IF YOU CHOSE TO READ IT AND ARE OFFENDED. Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt’s wife, writer Michelle McNamara, died last year one week after her 46th birthday from a combination of prescription medications and an undiagnosed heart […]
Continue ReadingI stumbled upon this quote in a novel by one of my favorite authors, Jeffery Deaver, best known for his Lincoln Rhyme series, especially The Bone Collector which was made into a movie starring Denzel Washington. It is a dialogue about grief between an adolescent girl who has lost her mother tragically in a case […]
Continue ReadingEditor: AfterTalk is about bereavement and grieving, which usually, but not always, begin with a death. Many of us are at that age where we might experience the death of a loved one, and have to go through all the arrangements required; but if it is our first, it is unlikely to be our last. […]
Continue ReadingThe nation has mourned the death of Mary Tyler Moore as if she were a head of state. Perhaps she was the head of a state of mind. I thought we should take time to recognize her. We honor both the character she portrayed and the incredibly philanthropic person she was in real life, raising […]
Continue ReadingOver a year ago Dr. David Fajgenbaum contributed a piece to AfterTalk on support for grieving college students. He was the subject of a New York Times article last Sunday about his own struggle with Castleman Disease which is extremely rare and frequently fatal. To read the article on Dr. Fajgenbaum click this link: THE NEW […]
Continue ReadingMy brother passed away Everything has changed. My brother passed away suddenly a few days before Christmas. He was in his thirties. He was born with Cystic Fibrosis, and four years ago, had a double lung transplant. We always knew time with him was precious, but everything seemed normal. It was a heart attack. I always […]
Continue ReadingWhen my mom Passed When my mom passed, just a few weeks after I dreamed of her. In the dream she hugged me, and unlike any dream I have ever had before I could truly feel her warmth and smell her familiar smell. She didn’t say anything to me, just hugged me in the big […]
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