Understanding and Managing Grief & Pet Loss, March 12 - March 18, 2023

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

It happened AGAIN today! If you think it can't happen to you, read the comments (114 and counting!) at the base of this blog post. Please, PLEASE pay attention to your cat or kitten's whereabouts. Losing a beloved animal in such a horrific way leaves pet parents traumatized with gruesome images and devastating feelings of grief, guilt and remorse. Pet Loss: Curious Cats Get Killed in Clothes Dryers « Grief Healing

If we want to genuinely support coworkers who are grieving the loss of a loved one, let’s move on from our curiosity of how they passed away. When and if a coworker is ready to share how they lost their loved one, they will share with you. Instead start by focusing on these three ways to help support their grieving journey: The biggest mistakes to avoid when your co-worker is grieving & what to do instead « Fast Company

Everyone will have their lives touched by death, and thus by grief. And yet, despite this being a universal, frequent thing, we’re seriously rubbish at talking about grief. When we’re confronted with grief, we stumble over what to say, feel at a loss for how to help and generally descend into unbearably British awkwardness. It’s understandable – death is an uncomfortable thing to think about. But our inability to discuss it openly and honestly can make those going through grief feel utterly alone. That’s why it’s so vital we move past our awkwardness and get talking. Why we need to get comfortable talking about grief « STYLIST

The bereaved are far better served by accurate information on the grieving process so that they can have realistic expectations, compassion, and patience for themselves. Similarly informed, others can support the bereaved far more effectively by listening and accepting whatever the mourner's experience, rather than trying to shove their journey of grief and mourning into mythical stages. Please, pass it on. Stages of Grief: The Harmful Myth That Refuses to Die « Psychology Today

Many U.S. households can relate to the pain that accompanies pet loss. Seventy percent of them, or about 90.5 million families, own a pet, according to a 2021–2022 survey by the American Pet Products Association. And at some point, those pets come to the end of their lives.“Losing a cat or dog [or other loved pet] can be devastating because of the strength of a human-animal bond,” says author Sarah Bowen. “Animals are enmeshed in our lives, so when they are absent, the silence in our home is startling.” How to Cope After the Loss of Your Pet​ « AARP

Laurel Braitman was still in high school when she experienced one of the most devastating things that can happen to a child - her father died. That affected the rest of her young adult life. Nearly three decades later, she's written a memoir about that experience. It's called "What Looks Like Bravery." Braitman says she had a happy childhood growing up on an idyllic ranch in California with donkeys and peacocks and avocado trees. But she had to keep a brave face as she watched her father get sick.  'What Looks Like Bravery' explains how achievement can't protect us from grief  « NPR

The dual process model theory of coping with grief (DPM) is useful in understanding chronic illness grief. The DPM identifies two distinct stressors associated with grieving: loss-oriented stressors and restoration-oriented stressors. The DPM posits that people oscillate between addressing the two categories of stressors and between active grief and rest. Chronic Illness and Grief « Psychology Today

The difficulties of university life are exacerbated by grief, but are worsened still without any policies to guide students when they need help the most. University decision-makers can ensure bereavement policies for students exist so that those dealing with grief know where to go. University and grief: A look into grieving while balancing studies « The Gateway

Joanne Byrick works the front desk at Huronia Hospice in Penetanguishene. She has been a volunteer in hospice for more than 13 years and comes to the work after experiencing the loss of her son, Ben, who drowned at the age of 24. She says bereavement is about learning to live with grief and share in the sadness, joy and laughter of the life the person lived. Seeing grief as companion, not enemy, key for hospice volunteer « Midland Today

"I don't know why I'm so unable to say the right thing at the right time but for some reason I just seem to put my foot into my mouth and make so many ridiculous comments. I decided to go to a funeral of a person I was acquainted with through a church activity group. She died last Sunday and her funeral was yesterday. All I could do was think about my mom and I was crying for the loss of my mom moreso than I was crying for the loss of this friend." In Grief: Saying The Wrong Thing at A Funeral « Grief Healing

Throughout history, humans have turned to craft in times of sorrow. But what is it that makes working with our hands such a force for healing? Can the soothing nature of craft be used to aid grief? « Happiful

Your feedback is welcome! Please feel free to leave a comment or a question, or share a tip, a related article or a resource of your own in the Comments section below. If you’d like Grief Healing Blog updates delivered right to your inbox, you’re cordially invited to subscribe to our weekly Grief Healing Newsletter. Sign up here.