Understanding and Managing Grief & Pet Loss, November 24 - November 30, 2019

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream this week:

You probably know a child who is grieving, or an adult whose childhood was punctuated by grief. Read this. Six Reasons Why You Should Focus on a Grieving Child, https://j.mp/2R5he17 « Modern Loss

In our culture the holidays, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas, emphasize family and friend togetherness. The absence of a friend or family member becomes more evident. Our sense of loss is more 'in our face' than other times of the year. How Can I Celebrate The Holidays When I Feel So Sad? https://j.mp/2XUgU6F « BK Books

The main thing we think of in mourning is the loss of the individual who’s died . . .  But there’s also a profound loss of SELF involved in mourning. i miss her, and i miss my self, https://j.mp/2KYSxzD « Kay Bruner

For those who lost loved ones this year, the holidays will be a hard six weeks. Even in the best of times, the holidays leave most of us exhausted and wondering if they are worth all the trouble. Holiday Black and Blues, https://j.mp/2L00dlc « Widower's Grief

Thanksgiving Day used to mark the beginning of the Christmas shopping season but now stores open for their annual rite of consumerism, Black Friday, before the sun even sets on the gratitude holiday. All in all, it seems sort of ironic that we cannot even set aside one full day for focus on gratitude before we start the pushing-and-shoving of materialism. Making Space for Gratitude, https://j.mp/2OSo2fE « Grief Perspectives

Disruptions in normal sleep patterns are very common in the first weeks and months of grief.  If you're having trouble sleeping, you might try some of the simple methods recommended by experts in accredited sleep centers. Tips for Coping with Sleeplessness in Grief, https://bit.ly/2HuFva9 « Grief Healing

When we wrote about why, for some, grief feels worse in the morning, we knew that we would immediately have some people telling us their grief is worse at night. Why Is My Grief Worse At Night? https://j.mp/2Dv7MMJ « What's Your Grief?

"I read your piece on guilt but I still feel terrible. As I write this I am devastated by the loss of a baby lovebird." Pet Loss: Negligence or Accident? https://j.mp/33dd2Pi « Grief Healing

Each person’s grief is as unique as their fingerprint. But what everyone has in common is that no matter how they grieve, they share a need for their grief to be witnessed. Our Experience of Grief is Unique as a Fingerprint, https://j.mp/33eQLAA « Literary Hub

Almost seven months after my husband's death I travel alone to Santa Fe on a Road Scholar trip with a Caregiver Grant and find courage and possibilities. Courage to Travel Alone While Grieving, https://j.mp/2KQsGtv « The Artful Caregiver

While I don’t expect a red-suited man sliding down my chimney on Christmas Eve with a bag full of toys, I know that he is very real. Why this physician believes in Santa Claus, https://j.mp/35n7ZNM « Kevin MD

Depression. Exhaustion. Burnout. Stress. Those are just some of the words people are using to describe their experiences as caregivers. There's now a hotline specifically for caregivers, https://j.mp/2OHq1DA « WKBW Buffalo

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