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Posts Tagged ‘grief’

Dealing with Loss on Valentine’s Day


While love is in the air and cupid’s arrow is in full swing, Valentine’s Day can be such a painful holiday for so many who are dealing with the grief of losing their spouse. It just doesn’t seem fair that so many are celebrating their love, while others are mourning their loss on this day, as well as many other holidays past and yet to come.

It is incredibly important to have a “plan” for Valentine’s Day. Keeping in mind that everyone grieves differently and handles loss in their own way, the following are just a few ideas to help make this day a bit more tolerable:

1. Plan to avoid restaurants and social gathering places that might make you feel uncomfortable or lonely. If it’s possible to get together with some friends or family members, try to spend your time at their home or yours.

2. Refocus your attention. Valentine’s Day is about love, and there are so many ways to express that love. Why not have a candlelight dinner with your kids. Just imagine the laughter that will evoke. Or if you have a dog, find a recipe for some pet friendly goodies and spoil your pet. Be creative. This will take your mind off of your feelings of loss.

3. Perhaps you would like to reflect on your loved one. There’s nothing wrong with that. Start a journal and write down your thoughts. Write about some special memories that you have from past Valentine’s Days together. Hold on to those treasured memories as they can bring you great comfort. This could be a special time of reflection for you.

If you have struggled in the past on Valentine’s Day, please feel free to share how you were able to cope… this could really help someone today.

Warmest Regards,

Debbie

 

 

Beyond Sympathy Gifts: Helping Those Grieving

What is your initial thought when you learn that a family member or friend is dealing with the loss of a loved one?  Is it calling your local florist to send flowers?  Searching for the perfect Memorial Gift Ideas?  Do you struggle with what to say or do?

When my family was dealing with a traumatic death, the flowers, meals, and cards were generously flooding our home.  While we appreciated every gesture, there was one that stood out.  It wasn’t a monetary sympathy gift, a delicious meal, or a meaningful card.   It was simply an act of kindness… by a 16 year old high school student.

She appeared the day of my brother’s funeral.  We didn’t know her and had no idea of her connection with my brother.  She was just there.  People were gathering at our home prior to the funeral.  Meals were placed on the kitchen counter, half empty cups where scattered all over the house, and it was very chaotic, to say the least.  As we were leaving for the funeral, this young lady asked if she could stay behind to “clean up the mess”.  While we encouraged her to go to the funeral, she declined.

While we were mourning our loss, she was doing something different; something unexpected.  When we returned to our home, we were greeted by the smell of freshly brewed coffee.  All the casseroles were heated and placed, ever so beautifully, in our kitchen.  Every left behind cup was gone.  Each pillow was fluffed and placed warmly on our sofa.  The house was comforting and inviting.

The memory of this moment still stings my eyes.  As I look back on this day, I do not recall if she was told how much she was appreciated… if she truly understood the impact her act of compassion had our family.   Did her parents know what an amazing young lady they had raised?

How can we help those grieving?  Please share your stories to enlighten those who are searching for ways to help or words to say.

God Bless You!

Debbie

 

 

Just Published – Are My Feelings Normal? The 7 Stages of Grief Explained

We are pleased to share this article about the 7 Stages of Grief.  Many people appear to be confused when trying to understand if the feelings they experience or normal during grief and recovery.  We hope this will help to explain the grieving process.  Please note that this is just a guideline and everyone grieves in their own way.  We will be exploring each step, in more depth, through this blog during the upcoming week.

We also look forward to sharing this same principles, yet from a Christian’s perspective.  How does God help those grieving?

If you have any comments or grieving strategies you would like to share, please feel free to comment.  Your suggestions could truly help someone!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-My-Feelings-Normal?-The-7-Stages-of-Grief-Explained&id=7193042

 

 

A Creative Way to Send a Sympathy Message on Facebook

With the internet, our social world is ever changing.  We share our feelings in different ways using various social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and now Pinterest.  Realizing this change in our culture, www.RememberMeGiftBoutique.com would like to offer this free gift, for a limited time only.

By visiting our Facebook page, Remember Me, you can simply “like” this page and message us with your request for a personalized facebook timeline cover (from one of the designs above).  This can be for your own Facebook page, or send it as a sympathy gift to someone you know who is grieving.

We will be offering this free gift to the first 20 people to respond.

Remember Me Gift Boutique always strives to bring comfort to those grieving.

 

 

Gift of Hope and Inspiration from Remember Me

I had a clear vision for my online business RememberMeGiftBoutique.com.  I had a strong desire to bring awareness to Suicide and Bullying Prevention, while providing Sympathy Gifts for those grieving.  During the past year, I have had the privilege of touching many people’s hearts who are dealing with tragic circumstances in their lives.  I am in constant appreciation for the relationships that I have established during this business venture.

There is an incredible common denominator in all aspects of my business.  It is quite simple… everyone is in need of hope!  The response to this “free gift of hope” has been overwhelming.  With such a need and desire, I am excited to add this mission of “hope” to RememberMeGiftBoutique.com.

It is my plan to focus on inspirational stories, inspirational quotes, and hope in dealing with grief.  I will continue to provide the inspirational pictures that seem to truly touch so many of my customers and friends.

I would love the privilege of sharing YOUR inspirational stories with others.  I have learned that we all go through things in our lives for a reason.  Perhaps, it’s simply to inspire others.  If you have an inspirational story to share, please contact me at contactus@remembermegiftboutique.com.

 

How Can We Help Those Grieving this Holiday Season?

Halloween has passed and Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  We all know what that means!  Christmas will, once again, sneak up on us.  Unfortunately, so many of us wish we could just skip over this holiday season.  Why?

It is incredibly sad that many are dreading this holiday season due to the passing of a loved one.  As many of you, I have personally witnessed a number of families struggles through Christmas… holding back the tears while putting a smile on their face as to not affect everyone else’s Christmas holiday.  Through these experiences, this appears to be the biggest obstacle:

People do not know how to react or what to say:  Do we mention how we miss that person who has passed away?  How will that make those grieving feel?  Is it better just to ignore the topic in order to prevent sadness?

This is my personal opinion:  They are already deeply saddened.  There is nothing we can do or say that will make them feel any worse… well, maybe there is… avoiding the topic.  They want to feel as though their loved one’s memory is still very much a part of the holiday season.

As I mentioned, this is my personal opinion due to my unfortunate experiences.  I can very well be wrong.  Please share your feeling or thoughts on this difficult topic.  Perhaps we can make someone’s holiday season a bit less painful.

 

 

 

Once Again, Suicide Hits Close to Home

I have been focusing much of my attention on Bullying Prevention Month and raising awareness for this worthy cause.  Unfortunately, these efforts have been temporarily interrupted due to my heavy heart after learning of two recent suicides that affected many locally here in Nebraska.

After receiving these calls, I am overwhelmed with emotion.  I get extremely frustrated over the fact that these deaths are so senseless.  Then I’m hit with realization that so many are grieving, a very different and difficult grief, due to these deaths.

Suicide Prevention and Grief Resources have been added to RememberMe-Gifts.com today.  It is my desire to have resources readily available for those in need.  I am very close to one of the families who are now suffering due to the suicide of a loved one.  I can only hope that these resources can help them and many others who are dealing with this grief.

Even though my focus has been on preventing teen suicide, I am broadening my efforts, as both of these suicides deaths were adults.  There are now spouses and children left behind to deal with this, what appears to be, insurmountable pain.

However, there is help and there is hope for these families.  I will continue to research and provide valuable resources to help and encourage those in need.  I will continue to pray for the families currently dealing with this tragedy.

RememberMe-Gifts.com and RememberMe-Awareness.com – The Connection

I remember very clearly the day I decided to start my own business.  I was sitting at my desk when I received a phone call that a friend’s daughter had committed suicide.  Ever since my brother’s suicide (which I briefly discuss in my “About Us” section of my website http://www.rememberme-gifts.com/pages/AboutUs.htm), I’ve had an unresolved feeling that I needed to do something to help hurting children, adolescents and adults who are contemplating taking their own lives.  I also had a strong desire to find a way  to bring comfort to their families that were left behind due to such a choice.  Since my little brother’s death, I have heard too many stories, too close to home.

I decided that it was time to pursue my passion of awareness and prevention full-time!  However, I am a single mother of three who needed to make a living.  So, I merged together my desire to help the grieving by selling unique, personalized, and meaningful  sympathy gifts, www.RememberMe-Gifts.com, with my longing to bring hope, inspiration and awareness to those suffering through www.RememberMe-Awareness.com.

I was extremely excited about this venture and actually informed yet another grieving mom  (who lost her daughter to suicide) about my decision.  Her reaction… well, it devasted me.  She was concerned that I would be profitting from her daughter’s death.  Obviously, she didn’t know me well, and she was in hopeless state of grief.  I certainly understood her position, but somehow thought it would bring a bit of comfort to her knowing that something was being done in her honor.  I do realize, however, that there are many companies that promote charities in an effort to promote themselves.  To that I say, “shame on you”, and I never want to be seen in the same light!

But I think of this constantly.  Those who know me, know my heart.  Hopefully, through this blogging adventure, people will get to know me and understand my true passion for this venture.

Please feel free to share your comments or questions.