From Positive to Negative
I think of myself as an “encourager.” I truly want to help people be optimistic and see the positive side of a situation; I try to instill hope in everyday life. However, I realized recently that I am not always strong, or even optimistic; sometimes I’m downright negative. This felt like failure to me, an unacceptable flaw, to...

Causes of Grief

Grief is painful, no matter what the source. While death is a major cause of grief (and may be the greatest contributor to our sense of loss), it's not the only cause. There are so many other reasons we experience pain and grief. Maybe you have experienced one, or many, of the following which has caused pain in your life. Keep in mind this isn't a comprehensive list,...

A Unique Grief
I was talking to a friend of mine recently and I discovered she is grieving the loss of her daughter. What is unique about her grief is that her daughter is still alive. Because of poor choices, her beloved child has taken a path in life that has left her estranged from her family and two young children. Her daughter is not in her life anymore; she is “lost”. The effects of her destructive lifestyle have been devastating to those who love her. With no contact with her...

Photo courtesy of Emilie Taylor

Devastating Events

Last year at this time, here in the Texas Hill Country, we had devastating wildfires sweep through thousands of acres that changed the face of the land we call home. I saw on the news the images of ruin that the wildfires brought and I heard the stories from the victims of the most destructive fire in Texas history. Their...

Grief of All Kinds
Grief can be overpowering, it can even be paralyzing. With grief comes confusion, frustration, exhaustion, fear, anger and a multitude of other emotions. The grief that occurs in our lives comes in varying degrees and from many different situations. Grief appears in all different shapes and sizes. Death of a loved one is not the only event that brings grief into our lives. Divorce, separation, miscarriage, mass disaster and moving away from family and friends can cause...