Tag Archives: dying

Missing Mother

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Gail

As I have done every year for the past several years on April the 13th, I’ve thought about my mother. Today she would have been 89 years old. That’s hard for me to believe and I find myself wondering what … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Grief | Tagged Cancer, childhood, death, dying, grief, love, taking loved ones for granted | 2 Comments

A Year of Pet Loss Grief

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Gail

One year ago today I had to euthanize my geriatric cat that I had for almost 20 years. A cat I had acquired when he was 8 weeks old and who I loved like a son. This year of grief … Continue reading →

Posted in Grief | Tagged animals, blessings, cats, death, dying, grief, grief therapy, loss of cat, one year death anniversary, pet loss grief | 2 Comments

When Grief, Mourning, and Tragedy Are Making it Hard To Cope

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Gail

She wakes up with a jolt, sits straight up in bed after just having had a vivid dream that disturbs her greatly. In the dream, she is standing in front of an opening elevator door waiting and expecting her sister … Continue reading →

Posted in Grief | Tagged animals, cats, childhood friend loss, death, depression, dying, God, grief, love, mourning, Stress, tragedy | 2 Comments

On Losing a Childhood Friend

Posted on July 6, 2013 by Gail

I feel like my brain is disconnected from my body. I didn’t sleep last night. Or much the four nights before that. I feel lost. Like I don’t know where to go or what to do or even what to … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Tragedy | Tagged childhood, childhood friends, death, dying, friendship, grief, memories, mourning, tragic death | 20 Comments

Two Funerals in a Day

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Gail

Yesterday I went to two funerals. Two very different funerals. It was a somber day and the type of day that makes you pause and do some deep reflecting on life, death, family, spirituality, etc. The first funeral was for … Continue reading →

Posted in Death | Tagged animals, death, dogs, dying, Episcopal church, funerals, God, grief, pet loss grief | 2 Comments

Anticipating Loss: When Our Beloved Pets Age

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Gail

A few days ago, I had to take my cat, Bigfoot, to the vet. Whenever people hear me say that, they give me a strange look or ask me WHY I took him to the vet when I AM a … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, cats | Tagged aging animals, animals, blessings, cats, death, dying, euthanasia, geriatric animals, geriatric cats, Kindness, love, pet euthanasia, pet loss, pet loss grief, veterinarians | 24 Comments

Daily Prompt: Helpless

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Gail

Helplessness: that dull, sick feeling of not being the one at the reins. When did you last feel like that –- and what did you do about it? The time I last felt total helplessness was February 14, 2006 (yeah, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cancer, Daily Prompt | Tagged bile duct cancer, Cancer, caregiving, Daily Prompt, death, dying, Family, Fear, God, grief, helplessness, lung cancer, postaday, throat cancer, wordpress | 10 Comments

Death by Addiction

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Gail

I have to admit, I was never a huge fan of Whitney Houston. It’s not that I didn’t like her or didn’t like her music– how could one NOT like an angelic voice like hers? Her voice was beautiful, but I … Continue reading →

Posted in Addiction, Death, Grief | Tagged addiction, alcoholism, death, denial, drug addiction, dying, grief, health, sickness, Whitney Houston | 7 Comments

A Daughter’s Journey Through Cancer- Part 10 (the final part)

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Gail

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a … Continue reading →

Posted in Cancer, Death, Memories | Tagged Alive Hospice, Cancer, caregiving, Christmas, death, dying, Family, Fear, funeral planning, God, grief, hypervigilance, memories, parents, Stress | 9 Comments

A Daughter’s Journey Through Cancer- Part 9

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Gail

When we started receiving care with Alive Hospice for both my mother and father, we were given a white notebook which was a hospice guide for both the patient and the caregivers. This notebook contained important phone numbers, and an overview … Continue reading →

Posted in Cancer, Memories | Tagged agonal breathing, Alive Hospice, Cancer, caregiving, death, dying, Family, God, grief, memories, pain, sisters, terminal agitation, Thanksgiving | 5 Comments