GriefSPEAK: Calling all angels – Mari Nardolillo Dias

A statue of an angel in a cemetery.

by Mari Nardolillo Dias, contributing writer Many of us have heard of “angel time.” Why do certain numbers keep showing up in our lives? Are the angels using clocks or license plate numbers to get out attention? (Belief.net). It can vary with individuals but is often a succession of the same numbers. In Doreen Virtue’s…

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GriefSPEAK: One Tiny Voice – Mari Nardolillo Dias

A woman sitting on a wooden table.

by Mari Nardolillo Dias, contributing writer I am only one voice in the smallest state in the United States, a nation of many across the globe.  A tiny voice, albeit a loud one that speaks on behalf of many. Under their fervor, intensity and bravado, many Ukrainians are grieving. Whether it be anticipatory or acute, the…

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GriefSPEAK: The Emperor’s New Clothes – Mari Nardolillo Dias

Speak the truth even if your voice shakes.

by Mari Nardolillo Dias, contributing writer Given the recent protests in Ottawa, Canada as well as well as January 6th commission, I feel compelled to republish this article. The grief associated with the loss of freedom in free speech causes a great deal of anxiety and uncertainty, analogous to a death. _ We are living in…

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GriefSPEAK:  The thief that steals us: ALS – Mari Nardolillo Dias

An abstract image of a human head with colorful splatters.

By: Mari Nardolillo Dias “I got my first real six-string Bought it at the five-and-dime Played it ’til my fingers bled Was the summer of ’69… Man, we were killin’ time We were young and restless We needed to unwind I guess nothin’ can last forever – forever, no” (Bryan Adams) Sebastian is a 50…

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GriefSPEAK: Happy Birthday, Bobby – Mari Nardolillo Dias

A set of colored pencils next to a drawing of a yellow butterfly.

By: Mari Nardolillo Dias “If you’re lost you can look and you will find me, time after time” (Cyndi Lauper) Tuesday, January 25th was my brother Bobby’s 68th birthday – his first in heaven.  Only six months since his sudden and untimely death. My plan was to bring a butterfly on a wire (so it…

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GriefSPEAK: Surviving Grief – Mari Nardolillo Dias

A man typing on a laptop with a cup of coffee.

By: Mari Nardolllo Dias “Don’t you know I’m still standing better than ever did… looking like a true survivor…” (Elton John) Deb Manzo McDonald posted the following on social media: “42 days ago, life as I know it once again changed, and left me on a path I was not ready for”. She was referring…

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GriefSPEAK: As told by Mercy – Interpreted by Mari Nardolillo Dias 

A black and white dog laying on a rug.

by Dr. Mari Nardolillo Dias, contributing writer Dog Park Confessions  It’s true. We dogs grieve all of the same emotions that go along with grief when we lose a human or a furry friend. In her book, “How Animals Grieve” (2003) Barbara J. King says that humans “can’t understand how [animals] think about death… but…

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GriefSPEAK: The New Year Resolution that almost wasn’t – Mari Nardolillo Dias

A statue of an angel in a cemetery.

By: Mari Nardolillo Dias Carmella had one goal, one resolution. Nothing lofty like many New Year resolutions, yet powerful and significant to her. A fingerprint. To be more exact, her deceased husband’s thumbprint. Carmella’s husband Joaquim passed gently without a sound. She planned to have a wake with an open casket (for the sake of…

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GriefSPEAK: So, this is Christmas – Mari Nardolillo Dias

A green christmas tree on a swirly background.

By: Mari Nardolillo Dias “So, this is Christmas And what have you done Another year over And a new one just begun” (John Lennon) I have received several Christmas cards with letters enclosed. These letters summarize the highs, the lows, and the major happenings of the family members throughout the past year. There are births,…

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