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grief

The "In Between" Christmas

 “Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter….

My Carolina Today: Grief During the Holidays

Dr. Susan Miller talks about Grief & The Holidays on NBC17's My Carolina Today. Aired 11/8/11. 

My Carolina Today- Interview

Dr. Susan Miller will be featured on NBC17's My Carolina Today Wed. 11/9 at 11am

She will be talking about dealing with grief during the holidays. Tune in! :-)

The link for online viewing post-air date will be posted here as well in case you miss it. 

Grieving Past Seasons of Your Life: Lessons from the Bluebird

Nature is a wonderful teacher if we will take the time to watch and learn.  It is God’s way of showing us how life has similarities in all living beings.    

 If you ever have had the sheer pleasure of watching brilliant bluebirds in your backyard, you have probably noticed some unique behaviors regarding their nesting boxes at different seasons of the year.   

Today the bluebird provided an illustration of how we, as mothers, grieve the past seasons of life, especially the years of childrearing.

Creative Grief: Hope for the Holidays


 Recently I experienced an emotional overload that came upon me unexpectedly!  I actually was not aware that I was carrying around such a load of tears until I went to visit my precious grand-niece, who is my sister’s name sake.  My sister had passed away in April of 2009, after a swift tumultuous bout with ovarian cancer.  My grand-niece was born two years later, almost to the date of my sister’s passing.

The Day I Gained Everything

 My life is pretty simple, non-plus and organized. I don't like change, I only like consistency. For those of you who automatically dislike this fact, please read on, as this is about to change. I categorize and label everything, am up to speed on the laundry and cleaning, and am even a superwoman animal owner (2 cats, 2 dogs, 2 guinea pigs). My home life consists of cooking, cleaning, backyard bonfires, moderate exercise, and sending an extensive amount of love to my animals. Nothing crazy, unexpected or out of the ordinary; routine.

Moving Past Denial

You may have heard at some point that there are identified stages to grief.  I have recently been reviewing stages defined by Kubler Ross known as denial, anger, depression, bargaining and acceptance.  These were designed to assist with the process of bereavement, but have also been found to be helpful in dealing with other situations involving loss such as divorce and life changes.
This weekend I had a small revelation when thinking about the first stage, denial.  I started thinking about what it is like to be in denial…