Dealing with Grief and Fears

If you live to be over 60, loss is inevitable. I anticipated the loss of my parents, knowing the day was looming when they would pass on as part of the natural order of life. What I didn’t prepare for was losing my sister, Linda…

Recently, I arranged a funeral for the husband of a woman named Arlene. The couple did not have cemetery property. Nor had they discussed where they wanted to be buried. They were, in other words, like too many others who haven’t…

The holiday season is often marked by the loss of loved ones, so it’s a good idea to be prepared for the inevitable. I am a well-published writer, so it seems that when a close friend or family member dies, I’m asked to write the eulogy.

Nothing in my life – barring news of the accidental death of my dad – has twisted me so much as the murder of my hair stylist. She was only 37 and a beautiful spirit. I met her about five years ago, when she was going through a divorce…

I had a vivid dream the other night. I was preparing to teach a class, but I couldn’t find my notes. As the time for the class drew nearer, I got increasingly stressed that I’d lost my window to prepare. In and of itself, that dream isn’t…

Death. It is all around us these days. Indeed, you can’t get away from it. Turn on the television and you learn how many people have died from Covid-19 in your country. In the US, it is now over 225,000; in the UK, it is now close to 45,000…

When I woke up at 8 am on my 68th birthday, I was confused to see that it was still dark. In a day unlike any other in my life, daylight never came. The sky remained dark with a purplish red hue. Cars drove with headlamps lit…

When one of my nieces was just a little thing, maybe 4 or 5 years old, she saw a spoon rack on her grandmother’s wall (my mother-in-law). It is one of those wooden shelves that holds tiny spoons my in-laws had collected…

Are you one of the many people afraid to see a doctor because of Covid-19? Are you feeling confused as to when the benefits of seeking healthcare outweigh the risks of the pandemic? Here are some clear-cut guidelines…

Soon after my book was published, I attended a community luncheon. Several couples were seated at my table, and we introduced ourselves. After watching me for a few minutes, one wife suddenly exclaimed, “Oh, I saw your picture in Sunday’s…