Pet Loss: Feeling Lost, Broken in Wake of Parents’ Euthanasia Decision

[Reviewed and updated July 19, 2020]

The heart will break, but broken live on.  ~ Lord Byron

A reader writes: My cat Susie was put down today by my parents. I had some reversals in my life and at 42 ended up having to live with my mom and her husband. I arrived with 2 cats and my mother immediately did not like the kitten and decided he needed to be sent to the pound. I ended up trying to kill myself that night for not being able to care for something I loved so much. I got good help and good medications and made it through.

Caregiving, Grief, & Pet Loss, February 16 - February 22, 2020

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

If we treated death like birth, we would make death plans in which we imagined how we wanted to feel at the end — even if we rarely know precisely when that will be. And be prepared, even if death were to come to us suddenly. What If We Treated Death Like Birth? https://j.mp/2urcHNK « Modern Loss

Nurses make a major contribution in introducing palliative care to patients (and families) who are receiving medical treatment for their disease but have not been referred to palliative care. Making ‘invisible’ nursing work visible: The work of oncology nurses in introducing early palliative care, https://j.mp/38KfEb7 « EAPC Blog

In Grief: Supporting the Survivor of Suicide Loss ~ Helpful or Harmful?

[Reviewed and updated January 7, 2024]

A reader writes: Eight days ago my brother-in-law Joseph died by suicide, leaving behind my sister after almost 15 years together, and their 10 year old daughter. I’m here to support my sister and niece during this time, as are many of her friends and family. Everyone has been very forgiving and patient. Though we all grieve individually, my sister and her daughter are at the forefront of our minds. I’m writing you in the hopes that you can lend some practical advice. The situation we’re in may not be unique, but I have failed to find any help in guidebooks or any other resource thus far. 

Understanding and Managing Grief, February 2 - February 15, 2020

Best selections from Grief Healing's Twitter stream:

The celebrities we admire often function as blank screens that we project fantasies of ourselves on as heroes, saviors, or romantic figures. A grief educator explains why the death of a celebrity feels like a personal loss, and what we can do about it, https://j.mp/38nDZDe « Business Insider

To experience the richness of life once again, we need to grieve. Closure May Be a Myth, but Grief is a Necessity, https://j.mp/3bC3Edm « P.S. I Love You

Belleruth Naparstek of Health Journeys responds to an interesting question from Patty. ASK BR: Dealing with IBS & Fear of Dying, https://j.mp/2SkpXNb « YouTube

Voices of Experience: Winter Grief

Source

by David Whyte

Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.  ~ Robert Frost

The grief of losing a loved one: the need to walk, to remember, to heal when you cannot heal; to remember what you do not wish to remember. The unconscious call for invisible help, and the not knowing consciously, how, in any way, to ask for it; the way everything refuses to console until we are ready for that consolation. The way winter turns to spring. ~ DW

In Grief: Coping with Father Loss

There is no expiration date on the love between a father and his child.
~ Jennifer Williamson

A reader writes: My dad passed away this past June, so I am looking for resources to help me on my journey. I found your website today, and it is wonderful! Thank you for all the hard work you put into it. I've signed up for one of your Discussion Groups and your Comfort for Grieving Hearts page is awesome. So I will be visiting often.

When Dad died, I lost my best friend. I was definitely a "Daddy's girl." He and I were so close. Since he died, I've been looking for books of comfort for daughters who have lost a father, but I haven't been able to find anything. I'm seeing a few things about fathers and sons and lots of things about mothers and daughters.....just not much for daughters. Can you help; are you aware of any titles? I'm journaling as I go along, so I thought I would try to write a book of meditations when I'm feeling better.

Understanding and Managing Grief, January 26 - February 1, 2020

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

". . . that’s not the story that really got me in this tragedy. What struck me was the seven others on board. Seven other indispensable, deeply-loved people. Seven other giants. The Seven Others, https://j.mp/2UiQQme « Snappshots

Even though we might not have met them, we still can become attached to them. When A Celebrity Dies, https://j.mp/2uE4yoM « Journeys

Grief is rarely black and white. You can both believe Bryant’s accuser and still be sad that he died. All thoughts and feelings are okay. Complicated Grief for Kobe Bryant, https://j.mp/2RA5jbB « Grief Compass