By Paula Stephens — 2020
Four and a half years after the death of my oldest son, I finally went to a grief support group for parents who have lost children.
Read on www.mindbodygreen.com
CLEAR ALL
In a world where there’s much to be taken seriously, it’s important to remember to laugh. Not to make light of the severity of war, discrimination, terror threats, or climate change, but to maintain a perspective that there is still much to be thankful for and to celebrate in your life.
Modern life has become increasingly complicated and it’s believed that stress is the primary obstacle to laughter. Laughter is a physical expression of humor and joy that has numerous protective qualities.
Last week was the one-year anniversary of the beginning of my husband’s health crisis. As I gaze at the permanent handicap placard and at him sleeping, once again, on the couch, I’ve been reflecting on what I’ve learned this past year.
1
When someone you love falls ill, gets in an accident or receives a scary health diagnosis, it’s never easy. In fact, it may be the hardest thing you’ll ever have to face. Unfortunately, it’s also inevitable that we’ll all deal with this kind of situation in life.
Coping with anticipatory grief is different than coping with the grief after someone dies (conventional grief). You may have mixed feelings as you find yourself in that delicate place of maintaining hope, while at the same time beginning to let go.
I’ve given radio shows about my afterlife research from Sydney to Toronto, and from London to LA. Here are some of the more interesting questions that interviewers ask me.
Understanding what kind of loss you’re experiencing can sometimes help you find your best self in the situation, say the authors of You Can Heal Your Heart. Especially if you use these specific affirmations.
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” ~Nelson Mandela
To find out what is death there must be no distance between death and you who are living with your troubles and all the rest of it; you must understand the significance of death and live with it while you are fairly alert, not completely dead, not quite dead yet.
All relationships go through phases, there will be good times and challenges. When you recognize that your relationship is in a rough spot, take heart. Great relationships don’t happen by luck. There are the specific skills and actions that strengthen our relationships.
4