A death will make us look at life differently, sometimes we just need some tips on how to turn our depression from our grief into a new style of happiness. Each Sunday, I post articles that will help us start to turn our life around

Jeremy Day presents How to Overcome Our 3 Biggest Enemies in Life posted at Insight Writer.

V & A presents Sit Down Life posted at Sit Down Life, saying, “Stop running in the mad rush. Relax speedster!”

Richard Johnson presents Dealing with a Negative Body Image posted at Reaching A Better Place, saying, “The mental means to get …read more

Mum spent New Years Eve with me as she normally does since Dad died. Normally, about 10pm she disappears to her bedroom for a few tears….and I give her a few moments then go and give her a hug. However, this year…a little sadness in the eyes but no tears. I said to her, that I was proud of how she continues to cope….
She said that the pain never goes away but your heart learns to cope with the pain…and then she said something that really touched me. “Anyway, whilst you are alive your dad is alive…I see him in …read more

One thing that grief has taught me is that when you lose someone, you lose their insight into various areas of your life. I came across this article at about.com entitled 50 Questions for Family History. I think this is a great idea to do with surviving family members and parents so that you get a chance to understand more about your history and what makes you, you. I wish I had seen this before my dad died….

I have just spoken with my mum who is “having a bad day”. It makes me feel so useless as a daughter, she has been so strong in dealing with the loss of dad. Loneliness is such an awful feeling and I want to take that pain away. I wish I could pop in and give her a hug – if you do live away, I still think you can reach out and help

I ring each day and let her download – listening is an underrated tool
I send an occasional card with words of support.
I tell her how much I …read more

Today is the start of a whole new set of experiences, a whole new set of emotions and it is not what happens but rather our reaction to them that will be important. Here is how I want to START the week!
S= Smile and make the whole world a better place.
T= Thank someone just for being them
A= Arrange to visit someone who you haven’t seen for a while or who is feeling down and give value to their life
R= Remember our lost loves in a positive way, for all the right reasons. The happiness they brought rather than the pain …read more

I wanted to share a comment that Anne left on the blog this week. Her words are powerful and I am sure that we can all relate to them
“Grief has an effect on us and each one of us takes his/her own journey through that valley. People often say they feel so alone, and letting them see that they are surrounded by family ( who also grieve in their own way), is empowering. Emotions are raw and when someone dies in our family it reminds us that we are mortal and makes many anxious. It is a normal human reaction …read more

I am a member of the Yahoo Group for grief and someone posted this poem which I thought was beautiful and wanted to share with you all

Your Mother is always with you
She’s the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street,
She’s the smell of certain foods you remember,
flowers you pick and perfume that she wore.
She’s the cool hand on your brow when you’re not feeling well.
She’s your breath in the air on a Cold winter’s day.
She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of a rainbow.
She is Christmas morning. Your Mother …read more

I love my mum and even more since Dad died. She is a born worrier and not the easiest person but her unconditional love has supported me throughout the years. Today she got diagnosed with a heart complaint and though I don’t think it is a major concern at this stage – she is 76 mind you (on the left in the photo) – it makes you wonder. Losing dad was hard and I cannot imagine life without mum. Grief in the past makes you realise how much a loss affects you. Normally I wouldn’t worry but now I know …read more