Words can calm our hearts, comfort our troubled souls, and provide some light for our path.

When you go backpacking out into the wilderness, you carefully plan and prepare, then go on your trip. When we go on a grief journey, it’s usually something forced upon us.

As time slips by, does it result in the healing you are hoping for while grieving? Definitely not. Time alone is not sufficient to heal the broken heart.

Is it possible to prepare for a storm before it happens? For sure it is but let’s look deeper at why that matters so much and how you can be prepared for your next storm.

How do you find a new identity after you’ve lost the one you had? Here are some actions to take to restore a lost identity after a loss.

On a daily basis we need friends who will witness the story we have to tell. It can be the difference between getting stuck or moving forward.

When you go on a journey, you usually have some idea where you’re going.

You can learn to grief entirely by your own experience or with some help from others. Abraham Lincoln is a historical figure who became a mentor for me.

Among the disruptions to life after a loss is the impact you often feel in the area of your purpose.

Grief is not a one size fits all process. It varies in intensity between people and depends on the nature of the loss.

The question is, how do you treat adaptability as your friend not as your foe when you’re on the tumultuous roller coaster of grief?

You give yourself a gift when you are able to embrace life while still grieving. It starts small, first but eventually becomes ever larger.

A personal moral compass is a resiliency muscle well worth strengthening to help you heal after a loss.

Part of learning to dance with adversity and loss is to find hope’s pathway after your loss so you can grieve thoroughly and eventually find that place of healing.

Sometimes you practice self-care because you have to. Other times, you practice self-care because you chose to.

If you too have experienced bouts of fear, you’re not alone. It’s a normal response to loss and is triggered by uncertainty, loss of control, loneliness and vulnerability.

A man acquainted with grief is Gordon Livingston. His name may be new to you but I wanted to share some of his thoughts that I have found so helpful.

The right kind of attitude you have while grieving can make a difference. I’m not talking about an artificial positivity but rather a grounded optimism that carries you through the rough days.

There is power in the pause. We feel the power of the pause in music, in a well crafted speech, and in life when we are able to slow down, take a breath and show up in the space the pause creates.

The thought hit me right after Vicky died, “I have no idea what I’m doing!” What did I do next? Beside feel overwhelmed and lost, it occurred to me, “I need to go to school. I need to learn how to get through what I’m going through.”