Grief

I’ll go ahead and acknowledge the giant turkey in the room, Thanksgiving can be the pits for people who are grieving. Many of the values, traditions, and messages associated with the day, like warmth, comfort, gratitude, and family togetherness, can…

Sarah Lyman Kravits June 21, 2017 On this day in 2014, three years ago, my brother died. He was killed by a drunk driver who also died in the crash. On this day, here in the northern hemisphere, summer begins….

Sarah Lyman Kravits April 25, 2017 I know people whose emotions fluctuate in response to the weather, but I never used to be one of them. Similar to what my father calls a “teacher-proof” student (one motivated to learn no…

Sarah Lyman Kravits March 22, 2017 Not long ago, I had one of those days. They come along periodically, and randomly, it seems. I wake up with a nagging sensation of trouble. Initially I wonder if I’ve neglected to take…

Anniversary reactions can be times of intense emotional struggle for the newly bereaved. Anniversary reactions are experienced usually for a number of years following a death. These often occur at times that held a lot of family time and are…

Back in the beginning of October I made this random list of 64 things I wish someone had told me about grief.  We got approximately a zillion amazing comments with the things you wish someone had told you about grief…

Thanksgiving Day can feel particularly cruel to those mourning the death of a loved one. Not only can the bereaved find it difficult to feel appreciative during this annual time of giving thanks, but the traditions, rituals, and gatherings we…

Comedian Adam Cayton-Holland, co-creator and star of the truTV series Those Who Can’t, is used to making light of life’s darkest moments. In his first book, Tragedy Plus Time: A Tragi-Comic Memoir, Cayton-Holland recounts one of the most devastating events…

As we look to our annual celebration of Father’s Day this Sunday, I know there are many dads out there, like me, who may experience a fresh wave of grief on this occasion, as a result of no longer having…

“If she were eight, everyone would understand my grief.  Why can’t they understand it now?  Even though she was forty-eight years old, she was still my daughter” Other parents who have experienced the death of an adult child often echo…