Category Archives: Chaplain’s Blogs

Grieving Now or Later—It’s Up to You (Part 2)

Posted on February 22, 2012 by LaurieO

In the previous blog, the subject was Grieving Now or Later—It’s Up to You. The point was that we don’t apply the model of grieving that we’ve been given. There are a few typical reasons why. The first is that … Continue reading →

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Grieving Now or Later—It’s Up to You (Part 1)

Posted on February 15, 2012 by LaurieO

Our society hasn’t set us up to grieve well. We say silly things, like, “Real men don’t cry.” This makes no sense—are emotions now a sign of weakness? We compliment the widow with inane words, like, “Look how wonderfully strong … Continue reading →

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What Should We Do at the Bedside?

Posted on February 8, 2012 by LaurieO

We have that image from the movies: it’s a quiet room, people that come in speak no louder than a whisper, and they tip-toe in and tip-toe out so as not to disturb the loved one, who seems to be … Continue reading →

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Why is This Taking So Long?

Posted on February 1, 2012 by LaurieO

After too little sleep and too much caffeine, nobody wants to say the words out loud, but they’re all thinking it as they keep vigil over their loved one. Meanwhile, this shell of a human, who now hardly bears any … Continue reading →

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Now Where Shall I Go?

Posted on January 25, 2012 by LaurieO

Bill loved the great outdoors. Hunting, fishing, skiing, hiking, camping, boating—you name it, he got out and did it. So when Bill died, the family decided it was only fitting to have Bill’s body cremated and his ashes spread over … Continue reading →

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The Letter

Posted on January 18, 2012 by LaurieO

What a lot we lost when we stopped writing letters. You can’t reread a phone call. ~Liz Carpenter Have you ever gone through the attic—you know, wiping aside the cobwebs, scooting past the front half of the snowmobile (and wondering … Continue reading →

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A Hospice Chaplain? No, Thanks

Posted on January 11, 2012 by LaurieO

“No, thanks, I don’t need a chaplain.” We in hospice hear this sentiment expressed frequently. And I admit: If I was eligible for hospice, and a nurse and social worker came to officially admit me to the hospice program, and … Continue reading →

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Talking with Kids about Loss

Posted on January 10, 2012 by LaurieO

Talking with Kids about Loss Joanne was 12 years old when her mom died. She was not allowed in her mother’s bedroom those last days of her mother’s life. When it came time for the funeral, an aunt (whom Joanne … Continue reading →

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Deal…or Don’t Deal

Posted on January 4, 2012 by LaurieO

Many grievers express a variation of this feeling: “I need something to distract me from my grief.” Makes sense. Problem is, it’s easy for that kind of distraction to turn into unhealthy escapism: staring at a screen for hours; retail … Continue reading →

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Helping Your Kids Cope with Loss—Part II

Posted on January 2, 2012 by LaurieO

Helping Your Kids Cope with Loss—Part II How can we help kids either prepare for a loss or walk through a loss? Continue to look at how we adults are acting, and then back-track. For example, there’s an exotic and … Continue reading →

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