Posts Tagged ‘death’
GriefSpeak: Loss of Older Loved Ones
by Mari Dias, contributing writer By: Dr. Mari Dias “And wherever you’ve gone And wherever we might go It don’t seem fair… today just disappeared Your light’s reflected now, reflected from afar We were but stones, your light made us stars” (Pearl Jam, lyrics by Eddie Vedder) I attended two memorials this week. Both mothers…
Read MoreGriefSpeak: Life after Life
By: Dr. Mari Dias “She said, she said I know what it’s like to be dead” (The Beatles, 1966, Revolver) The year 2020 has been difficult for many, and devasting for some. Despite all things COVID, quarantine, and the state of the nation, life and death go on. There is no hiatus or sabbatical on…
Read MoreGriefSpeak: Divine Intervention
By: Mari Dias Agnes was a spry, energetic 80 something year old woman, a tiny woman in both weight and stature, who prided herself on golfing 18 holes three times a week. “Without a cart.” She would overemphasize that phrase. I was the water aerobics instructor, whose class entitled “No Excuses, No Regrets” was a…
Read MoreGriefSpeak: Coronavirus – Staring into the Sun
By: Mari Dias A recent research article, written by Sherman Lee et al (2020) in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders coined the phrase “Coronaphobia” and defines it as “a relatively new pandemic-related construct related to functional impairment and psychological distress.” It may be comforting to some of you who are struggling with anxiety to know…
Read MoreButterflies Bring Comfort in Time of Grieving
By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging Susan feels “joy in her heart and complete happiness” whenever she sees a butterfly. A butterfly came into her life as she mourned her brother’s death in 1990. Before he died, she remembers her brother saying that he would come back as a butterfly. The 62-year-old Pawtucket resident…
Read MoreGriefSpeak: Valentine’s Day for a Broken-Hearted Mom – Mari Nardolillo Dias
By Mari Nardolillo Dias, EdD, contributing writer on grief, grieving “The hardest thing I’ve ever had to hear was that my child died. The hardest thing I’ll ever have to do is to live every day since that moment.’ (amourningmom.com) There is no time limit on grief. Today marks the 37th Valentine’s Day that Anna…
Read MoreGriefSpeak – The Mortician’s Daughter: Reprise
By: Mari Dias When I die there will be no questions to ask. Why? Because I’m in the business of death and dying and this is what you think about. You plan. I’ve worked with too many clients who deal with unanswered questions. I’ve been planning my exit for years, having prearranged my wake, funeral…
Read MoreGriefSpeak – The Death of a Pet
Names and locations have been changed to protect the client. By Dr. Mari Dias Benjamin was a 60 something year-old man. When he called me for an appointment, he made it clear he only wanted one session. When he arrived, he was a large man, tall and well-built: a man who might intimidate by both…
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