Compassion and Peace in a Confusing World
Once again, I am “blown away” (excuse the reference) about the loss we are experiencing in the U.S. The folks in Hawaii (Maui) are suffering the horrible consequences of wildfires. More than one hundred are dead and homes, stores and cities have been significantly damaged. Searches for others lost in Hawaii continue. Southern California storms… Continue reading A Tender Heart
Four years ago this week a good friend of mine died. I met Ken when I worked in the human resources field. Ken worked for a local city and we both regularly attended meetings of a group of HR professionals. After he retired, I hired him part-time to help me with some HR issues. We… Continue reading Still Remembering
Reading articles about grief often stimulate an outline for a blog post. I add my reflections on the topic and sometimes share ways in which I deal with my personal grief. By writing about it to others, it becomes a way to mourn because the grief has now gone public. I recently read about a… Continue reading Grieving Forever
I wake up each morning, grab the newspaper and a cup of tea and try to make sense of the world. I can’t. The stories generally seem so negative that they are sometimes difficult to read. However, I don’t stop reading because acknowledging that evil and serious concerns exist, I have this crazy idea that… Continue reading Vicarious Grief
My guess is that people who are trained in a particular area of study carry that skill throughout retirement, but I had no idea how it related to high school reunions. I am credentialed in the understanding of grief and loss as my gift that tags along with me. Recently, I attended a reunion of… Continue reading High School Reunions
Last week I read a nice little story in The Guardian newspaper U.S. edition. Written by Anthony Seldon, he reflects on Celebration Day, May 26, 2023. He writes, “I am not sure that people do die – if dying means annulling, disappearing, or being extinguished. They live on in the memories of those who knew and loved them.”… Continue reading The Importance of Memories
For the past couple months I have focused the At Peace blog toward understanding the importance of helping others who are experiencing loss in their life. I hope readers received something helpful in the posts. This week I have received some big-time help in the effort. On May 2, 2023 our Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, declared loneliness as… Continue reading Addressing Loneliness
Last weekend I received a voice mail from Mary, the wife of a friend who worked with me for a number of years. We both retired from our bereavement support jobs about the same time. Mary’s message suggested some troubling news. I immediately returned the call and learned that Michael had died. Difficult news to… Continue reading The World According to Michael
This week I sat in my home office with the television news on. I glanced at pictures of people killed in the Nashville mass shooting. I think my heart skipped a beat when I saw the photo of a nine-year old girl. Her name is Hallie Scruggs. I thought of my seven-year-old granddaughter and refocused… Continue reading May the Light Shine
With all the losses we have faced in the past few years, I have been writing a lot about getting involved with your friends, members of your faith community, neighbors, and friends of friends. I have been making the point that companioning people who have suffered losses do not always require professional therapists, but the… Continue reading Offering Companionship
At Peace 