Link to “Coping with Loss on Mother’s Day” from BeliefNet

“Coping with Loss on Mother’s Day” from BeliefNet

Article Link: “Grieving in the Grocery Store” by Beryl Kaminsky

“Grieving in the Grocery Store” by Beryl Kaminsky, LPC, CT

Mother’s Day Edition: Life Lessons

“Honor the life lessons you learned from your mother.”

(From Grieving the Death of a Mother by Harold Ivan Smith)

What better way could you honor the memory of your mother this Mother’s Day than to reflect upon the lessons you learned from her and to put one or more of them into practice?

Lesson Learned: _____________________________________________________

How I Will Begin Applying This Lesson: __________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Mother’s Day Edition: Might Forgiveness Be A Good Gift?

Even the best relationships between mothers and their children have moments of “I wish I’d said” or “I wish I hadn’t done.” Those moments are on both the parental and the child side of the relationship.

One of the biggest hurdles in the grief process is unforgiveness. The unforgiveness could be something you hold against your mother, something for which you feel you didn’t receive her forgiveness, or forgiveness you are withholding from yourself. Might this Mother’s Day be a good day to give the gift of forgiveness?

Mother’s Day Edition: “How Am I Going to ‘Get Through’ Mother’s Day This Year?”

Mother’s Day is a special day in American culture...a day set aside to honor our mothers and/or those who have filled that mother-role in our lives. Traditionally, this is a day of celebration, but for many each year, the day is one more reminder that our earthly mothers are no longer with us.

Just like the other “special” days in the calendar year, I strongly suggest that you make a plan for how you will spend this Mother’s Day. The following ideas are just a few of many found in Harold Ivan Smith’s Grieving the Death of a Mother (Note: These ideas could also be adapted & used for other “special” days.)

– Donate to a worthy cause in honor of your mother (i.e., If your mother was a teacher, you might choose to establish a scholarship for someone pursuing a teaching degree.)

– Do a mitzvah, or good deed, in honor of your mother (i.e., Buy or make something from scratch and give to someone who would appreciate it.)

– Write a poem or a song about your mother. Consider using this sentence to get you started: “I never realized that my mother could…”

– Refinish a piece of your mother’s furniture (Either for you or to give as a gift to someone dear to your mother.)

– Become a companion to someone who is also experiencing motherloss. (You may feel as though you are the only one going through this kind of pain, but I can assure you, there are many who can relate and would appreciate a companion on their grief journey.)

– Cook your mother’s favorite recipes. Make copies of the recipes or even put together a recipe book, so that the recipes can be passed on to future generations.

I hope these suggestions have been helpful, but if you feel that you or someone you care about needs additional support, has questions about what he/she is experiencing, or would like information about services available to him/her, please don’t hesitate to call me at (504) 734-0140 or e-mail me at stjosephnober@yahoo.com.

Link to Bereaved Parents of the USA

“Bereaved Parents of the USA (BP/USA) is a national non-profit self-help group that offers support, understanding, compassion and hope especially to the newly bereaved be they bereaved parents grandparents or siblings struggling to rebuild their lives after the death of their children, grandchildren or siblings.

BP/USA is open to all parents, grandparents and siblings regardless of the age or circumstances of the death of their children, grandchildren or siblings.” (http://www.bereavedparentsusa.org/)

Link to “Silent Grief”--Support for all who have suffered miscarriage and later child loss