Grief

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…

After my husband died when my kids were 8 and 9, Father’s Day became a dreaded milestone—and a day that makes the people who love us uncomfortable. They don’t know what to say, but here’s what they shouldn’t. [READ MORE]