Holidays like Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Diwali, Christmas (not to mention birthdays and anniversaries) can be very tough for those who have experienced loss. For people in grief, family gatherings and celebrations can highlight the absence of a special person. With some thought and planning, it is possible to get through [...]
This Valentine's Day, be bold and loving - start an Advance Care Planning conversation with someone you love.
Is Christmas difficult this year because you will be missing a loved one? Are you wondering how you'll manage without them? Here are 7 strategies that you can use right now to help you cope with Christmas.
The Christmas holiday is a very special time, as it is an important time to connect with family and friends, and celebrate together the events and developments that have taken place that year. For some people though, Christmas is a lonely time as they have lost a spouse or another [...]
They’re over – the anticipation and the excitement of holidays with family and friends. Perhaps there was a bit too much eating, too much partying, and too little exercise… Perhaps there were even some challenging family moments. Unrealistic holiday expectations of “joy and peace” often result in disappointment when our family members behave [...]
Outside the window, I hear the carolers wandering closer to our front porch; their familiar song evokes precious memories of childhood holidays. However, it’s another Christmas without my Dad, and this year, I’m feeling more stressed about it. Quite frankly, I’m wondering if I’ll be holding it together during the [...]
Holidays are a wonderful time to get away from our normal activities, but have you ever considered your holiday travels as a time to educate your family on death and dying? Every year, I’m drawn back to the town where my family migrated from Norway via the US. It’s name [...]
How many of you remember cassette tapes where you could fast-forward through a song that you didn’t like and find the one you preferred to listen to over and over again? It was never easy to guess when to stop the fast-forward button, and so you would have to [...]
It was forty years ago, in a large downtown hospital that I worked my first Christmas Eve shift as a new nursing grad. As was the hospital tradition, a call went out during the night for nurses willing to sing carols strolling through the wards on Christmas morning . I [...]
