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Heart to Heart

Heartfelt notes, from one griever to another.

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: Dear Hospice Heart

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: Dear Hospice Heart

November is Hospice Appreciation Month. I have reflected on what that really means, to me, as a former hospice professional. It was an honor to work with families. It was a privilege to enter sacred space when someone was in their final weeks, days, hours and moments of life. I didn’t feel like I needed appreciation for holding sacred space and being a guest in each space I entered.

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: Scatter Brained

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: Scatter Brained

Hi friends……………………

We are now friends, fyi.  We’re in a club that no one wants to be part of. But I’m glad to call you a friend, for what it’s worth. Thanks for being here (even though neither of us want to be). Imagine I’m giving you a hug right now… because I know I need one, and can only imagine that you do too.

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: Dear Sue

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: Dear Sue

Dear Sue, Where and how do I begin to tell you what lives in my heart? I have let the music play right now as it did for the last year as we would sit together reading while you napped. I knew the rest was good for you and could never waken you before your eyes would open and smile at me. After the stem cell transplant, you never regained your weight, you never regained your energy, you never lost your bright smile or spirit to live. You endured so much to let me have all of the days possible with you.

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: I Look In People’s Windows

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: I Look In People’s Windows

My mom and I were best friends; best friends that fought and handled our emotions very differently but still…best friends. I will never forget the day she died. The phone call, the rush home, not making it in time, and the haze of the following weeks, and months. Death is so sudden, one minute she was here on this earthly plane with me and the next she wasn’t. She was gone and I was left to piece together a world without her. A world I still can’t figure out. 

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: Growing Around Grief

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: Growing Around Grief

Researchers describe this process as “Growing Around Grief,” suggesting that grief evolves rather than diminishes over time. This model shows that grief becomes a part of our lives, integrating into our being as we develop new skills and relationships. This model emphasizes that grief doesn’t fade but becomes part of our broader life journey, allowing for joy, creativity, and new memories while honoring our loss.

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: The Power of Virtual Groups

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: The Power of Virtual Groups

My wife Mary and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary on September 12, 2020. On the morning of November 6, 2020 I went for my daily walk. When I returned from my walk, I found Mary lying dead on the bathroom floor. I was devastated and at a complete loss of what to do. Not only was she my wife but also my business partner. So I lost my wife, partner and also our livelihood…

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: Lifeline

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: Lifeline

I recently started diving deeper into the practice of writing poetry by joining a poetry meetup group, then forming my own women’s poetry group. A friend joined a challenge to write a poem a day for a month, based on a word prompt in the theme of hope. Every time she shared one of those prompts with me, my immediate reaction was anything but hope. So I decided to write about it, and this poem, “Lifeline,” was born. I read it to my Heartlight Institute support group, and they strongly resonated with it and suggested I publish it for our fellow grievers. Thank you, HeartLight, for giving me a venue to do just that. Writing about my grief always gives me a sense of relief, and I want to share it with others so they know they’re not the only ones struggling.

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: You Raise Me Up

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: You Raise Me Up

A couple weeks ago, as I was exercising at my local rec center, I was listening to music on my ear pods when a song by Josh Groban, entitled “You Raise Me Up (to more than I can be),” started playing. This was one of Marilyn’s favorite artists and songs and it was the last song we played at her memorial service. I hadn’t heard it much since she died, probably intentionally because of the memories, so I didn’t know whether to fast forward or skip the song entirely. I decided that I needed and wanted to hear the song after all this time.

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: Sudden Loss and Finding New Love

Heart To Heart: From One Griever to Another: Sudden Loss and Finding New Love

My wife Mary and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary on September 12, 2020. On the morning of November 6, 2020 I went for my daily walk. When I returned from my walk, I found Mary lying dead on the bathroom floor. I was devastated and at a complete loss of what to do. Not only was she my wife but also my business partner. So I lost my wife, partner and also our livelihood…

Submit a “Heart to Heart” Letter!

Our stories are individual, but our experiences can be deeply connected. Knowing there is someone out there who understands what we are going through can be helpful and healing, creating connection to someone who was once a stranger.

Your grief story can help others on their journey of loss. HeartLight Center invites you to share what is on your heart so someone else may feel seen, understood, or less alone.

Even if you have never written before, send us a letter, poem, quote, short story, how you have coped, what you have learned, a book recommendation, or anything else that feels right or helpful to share.

Submissions can be 5-2400 words in length. Please complete the form to submit the writing you would like us to consider for an upcoming blog/newsletter contribution!

(If you have an expressive art piece that you would like to share such as a drawing, please contact us at [email protected] with the subject: Heart to Heart submission.)

From our heart to yours,

Thank you