Read Part I In this the second article in the series on homicide loss I look at the challenges faced by co-victims in dealing with society’s response to their loss. Our society is fascinated by crime. Murder sells, violence sells, drama sells. Photos and films repeatedly glamourize the action and thrill of police and…
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A Four-Part Article on Homicide Loss
Continue...Part I — The challenges faced by homicide loss families I am a co-victim of homicide, a murder survivor. Some refer to me as the mother of the boy who was killed. At times, it feels as if I don’t even have a name, such is the stigma surrounding homicide. Whatever the term, the fact…
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- Books
- Complicated Grief
- Emotions/Feelings
- Finding Hope
- Grief
- Healing
- Holidays
- Life After Loss
- Trauma
Boxing Day and Compartmentalization
Continue...I call the year after my son, Zachary, died in my arms at birth my “Year of Distraction.” In that time, I could not confront the grief and pain that gnawed at me like a persistent cold. It never went away, however, I found that I could side-step it through activity. I did this intentionally:…
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When the Strong Break
Continue...A couple of weeks ago, I broke down. Nothing particularly dramatic happened. There wasn’t any big event or incident that occurred. It was years of little and large things, big and small changes, grief, countless losses, dozens of fears and uncertainties, and a thousand other things I probably don’t really remember. It felt more like…
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- Anniversaries
- Christmas Without You
- Dealing With Others in Grief
- Grief
- Holidays
- Life After Loss
- Triggers
10 Simple Reasons the Holidays Hurt
Continue...“I always thought it was strange when people said the holidays were harder after a death. I thought, ‘Why would you miss them any more on a holiday than on any other day?’ It turns out – they were right.” My best friend of 20 years sent me that over text the other day. Her…
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- Complicated Grief
- Grief
- Life After Loss
- Multiple Loss
- New Normal
- Psychology and Grief
- PTSD
- Twins / Twinless Twins
- Uncategorized
The Invisible Scar
Continue...The dictionary defines a scar as “A mark left by a healed wound, sore, or burn.” There is an additional definition as well: “A lasting aftereffect of trouble, especially a lasting psychological injury resulting from suffering or trauma.” This second definition describes my scar. I have spent a lot of time lately thinking about this…
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The Calendar
Continue...Note: This post was originally scheduled to publish on October 21st, but was delayed due to website technical difficulties. Most loss parents will admit that they routinely lose track of time. Grief makes us foggy and unable to focus on trivial nuances, like days of the week or what month it is – that is until it…
