grief

Losing a family member is one of the most traumatic life events; Families must support one another to endure the five stages of grief and get through it together.

Four pandemic postcards
I. Dear Helen, I learned, as your daughter, that the sorrow that shadowed your beauty and light came in part from being born three months after your father, Antoni, died at age 40 of the Spanish flu, official cause of death pneumonia, in February 1920, at the tail end of the pandemic. It was said that Antoni may have built his own coffin; he was employed at a casket factory. At the time of your birth, your newly widowed mother, Josephine, had two other daughters under three, spoke no English, worked as a maid.
By Marjory Zaik5 years ago in Families
Make Hay While the Sun Shines
My brother died too young in a gruesome accident. It was sudden, as accidents tend to be. He was gone in a flash. Getting the call myself and calling my mother to break the news are in tight competition for the worst moment of my life.
By Madeline5 years ago in Families
Over the Cancerous Line
For 4 years, my step father had stage 4 prostate cancer that eventually engulfed his whole body. In 2016, he was given 6 months to live. He made it until October of 2020.
By Antonia Fish5 years ago in Families
Finding the Path Through
I lift my head and I look at the snowcapped mountains. Sleet cuts across my cheeks. The cold is numbing but exhilarating. There is a freedom to being this exposed and this alone.
By Sofia McLellan5 years ago in Families
She Gave Me More
My family of four arrived in Tijuana, Mexico in September 2015 with all our worldly goods in a minivan. In November 2017, my family of three left with a different minivan packed with everything we owned.
By Joy Hartman Hale5 years ago in Families
Saving for an unexpected funeral
I grew up in a suburban Australian family in the wild nineties, where parents let their kids ride their bikes, no phones and you knew to come home when it started to get dark.
By Dwayne5 years ago in Families
The Little Black Book
"Hello", I said. "Mom is gone", My sister said in that voice I had only heard when I knew there was bad news left to share. She always had a knack for reaching me when I was most unprepared for the news that was hers alone to tell me.
By Tim Clark5 years ago in Families
Some Kids
Jimmy was a child with some anger issues and other behavioural problems. In the first grade, I remember him being the only kid in class that threw tantrums and beat on his desk with his fists. The teachers pretended not to notice. If he ever caught us snickering at his fits, he’d laugh and beat on the desk harder, reveling in the attention.
By Grant Whitehurst5 years ago in Families
Blanket
I was seven the first time I learned about death. The cold finality of it all surrounded me like a blanket, keeping me company the remaining days of my life. I remember the coffin, light blue with brass handles. The flowers—lilies, evocative of death—covered every possible surface filling the church with their strong, honey-laced aroma. I watched as the adults stood in hushed groupings going over the details of her demise.
By That Writer Chick5 years ago in Families
A Priceless Inheritance
Knock. Knock. Knock. “Stella? You up?” I heard the muffled words and pulled the blanket over my head. I heard the door open and the sound of footsteps across the floor. The metal raking against metal was like nails on a chalkboard as a stream of light illuminated the floral pattern on my blanket.
By Milica McMillen5 years ago in Families
I just want want to say ‘’Hi Dad’’.
I remember this day clearly, like it was yesterday and I took this picture of my Dad. I remember seeing him go into the cement pier on his own like he wanted to go for a swim, which he hadn’t done in too many years due to his above knee leg amputation and diabetes wounds on his remaining leg. My Dad was a proud man that was never satisfied with anything that made him feel weak or less than anyone else. Since his first heart attack and leg amputation he had changed to someone I did not recognize. He was weak but he always tried hard to push himself to be able to do more, I don’t think his heart helped him at all after the second attack.
By Lori Estrada5 years ago in Families
Messages for a Lifetime
There it is, the car that I always dreamed of buying but couldn’t afford. I’ve driven by this lot so many times in the past 2 years, but have never pulled in. Today, I pull in. Today, I inquire about the car. Today, I plan to test drive this car. The dark red shines in the sun light, as the dark window tint blocks seeing inside of it. As many times as I’ve dreamed of driving this car, owning this car, even just sitting in it, the reality of this happening was not likely.
By anne boutin5 years ago in Families