Major life transitions, such as the death of a loved one, always change us. They force us to learn in preparation for our next level of life. Bereavement research confirms that the vast majority of us can and do recover. And, we now know a lot about how resilient healers resolve their grief. Sorrow is not your destiny. Transformation is.
...My father’s passing late last year has caused me to reflect deeply on my own death. I’ve been writing a series about death anxiety, to share my process for leaning into my fear. In this piece, I share how I work through my greatest source of anxiety: fear of dying alone. In this piece, I talk about building my faith in the compassion of my fellow humans and how it will draw them around me when my time comes.
...How do resilient grievers get through bereavement? They believe in their own ability to find their way forward, and do what it takes to heal their own sorrow. And research shows, most of us have what it takes.
...Do the holidays make you feel lonely? You aren’t alone. Sixty-six percent of us suffer from holiday loneliness. And we need to take our loneliness seriously. Fortunately, loneliness first aid is pretty simple: connect with other human beings. Here are some ideas for curing your holiday loneliness.
...***New blog post from Postcards from the Shadowlands:*** Being an advocate for my father has not always brought out my best side. So, I owed one of the managers at my father’s nursing home a big apology. Instead of forgiving me, she connected with me. And that made all the difference.
...It’s frightening when you know a loved one is approaching death, but It helps when you know what to expect. I was much better prepared to support my mother through her end of life because I learned about the dying process. And my conscious engagement with my mother’s passing decreased my anxiety about my own death. This is the second post in my Death Anxiety series.
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