Death & Grief

Personal Experience

A Daughter Forever "As much as I wanted to be with my mother, I was afraid to go home, afraid to take the first steps into an uncertain future, afraid I would not be strong, afraid I did not know what "strong" looked like in such a situation."

Because of Bryan "I searched the faces of those at the foot of my bed -- my husband, my mother, a nurse. No one would answer the question in my eyes; no one spoke at all. Finally, the faces drifted out. As he floated by, my husband touched my cheek; I saw a gleam of moisture in his eyes. I opened my mouth to speak, but he quickly shushed me. 'Rest,' he said. 'I'll do what needs to be done.'"

Faith and Farewells "Becoming a widow and single parent at age 48 threatened to engulf me. While my daughter's death broke my heart years before, my husband's death nearly broke my spirit. My future seemed to die with him; the pain of loneliness was unrelenting."

Laid to Rest "Those tiny headstones on those small plots didn't move my imagination. I couldn't picture a young body under there. The death of children seemed unreal, sad fairy tales."

Miscarriage: A Secret Sorrow "A horrible fear gripped me. 'What if the baby is still alive?' I asked the doctor. 'We'd be killing the baby. I can't do this!'"

Murdered! "The thought of my precious baby being hideously killed pulled me from suspense and plunged me into grief. I would never see my son again in this life."

Now That You're Gone "I looked around the room, wondering if the pain would ever go away. The words 'Hon, I'm sorry, but can you help me?' beat into my brain."

Saying Goodbye "I stood alone in Grandpa's room, the door shut so Grandma wouldn't have to watch me stuff his leftovers into big black bags. Just standing in his space, so soon after standing at his casket, hurt as nothing had before."

Surviving Mother's Day "Throughout the service, I blinked back tears -- tears of heartbreak, tears of loneliness, tears for Christie, tears for what could have been. When the pastor said, 'All mothers, raise your hands,' I kept mine clasped in my lap."

Tears for Billy "I will never forget him."

The Least of These "I knew I could never go through with an abortion, but it was not just because of my moral objections. I had felt him kick. Even though he was small, I sensed him fluttering at only 14 weeks, and he just kept growing more active. I could never abort him: I loved him; he was my son."

The Other Side of Love “I begrudgingly bought soaps, lotions, shampoos — anything that wasn’t soft or cute. In the car, I tore the list to shreds and prayed, through angry sobs, that her labor would be long and painful.”

The Private Pain of a Motherless Child "While at a party at our neighbor's house, I was molested by a man who said he had known my mother. I wanted desperately to run home and tell Mom what had happened."

When Nightmares Come True "The words were barely a whisper, yet they echoed through me like a shout of agony. 'It's too late. It's too late. It's too late.'"

Why Me? "Staring down, all I saw was the surface of dirty brown water with my tears falling into it. My mind screamed, I can't reach you, Kathy! I can't reach you!"

Gifts for the Griever We can endure many awkward moments when we're with people who express their grief. How can we train our sensitivities so we can be the most help?

Links in God's Chain of Compassion The death of someone close not only brings grief but also creates awkward moments with others. What can we say? What should we do? Based on her experience, PeggySue Wells gives suggestions and insights on how we can be the critical links that God uses to show compassion to others.

Moving On Grief is a debilitating emotion that can sideline a person for months or even years. Perhaps at no other time is it more critical to move on with life while healing from loss. Lonna Enox shares suggestions that worked for her.

The Death of Death Some see death as honorable -- even preferable to living. Most see it as something to fear and shun and deny. How can we find the proper balance between these two extremes?