Navigating the Depths of Parental Grief

Navigating the Depths of Parental Grief

Healing, Relationships
The loss of a child brings a depth of sorrow. I see the immense struggle parents face in moving forward after child loss. The journey through grief is deeply personal and challenging, especially when it involves the unimaginable loss of a son or daughter. Overcoming grief and sorrow is a huge task for parents who have lost a child at any age. The emotional trauma that accompanies such a loss can often prolong the grieving process, creating a heavy burden. It's like carrying an anchor that keeps pulling you back into the depths of sadness, making it difficult to see a way out. The Lingering Effects of Grief The emotional trauma that lingers after such a loss can manifest in various ways, impacting relationships, mental health, and overall well-being. Despite…
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Happy & Sad Emotions Missing Mom & Chocolate Cake

Happy & Sad Emotions Missing Mom & Chocolate Cake

Healing, Relationships
It all started with a chocolate cake... I decided to make a cake for my husband's birthday. He loves chocolate so I began looking at recipes. I have old ones but this time felt pushed to find a match with my mother's recipe from the past. You see my mother was an awesome cook and she loved to bake! In summer she'd do extra baking and sell it at my Dad's hardware store to local and summer folk in our small town. The tricky part with Mom's recipes was that most were in her head. So when you asked for a recipe she'd list off the ingredients as "about a cup of this and a couple of spoonfuls of that...". I was often left wondering if she was talking teaspoons…
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Christmas Triggers – Stirred Up by past Emotional Wounds

Christmas Triggers – Stirred Up by past Emotional Wounds

Relationships
They stir up our past emotional wounds, reminding us of times that were better or worse. Along with glad feelings, our sad and mad emotions can suddenly bubble up to the surface, usually not at the best of times. Christmas brings up a variety of feelings for many people. Some experience upsetting emotions which are consistently triggered year after year around the holiday season. As we remember favourite Christmas moments and past events shared, we feel sadness and grief over loved ones who have passed, knowing they won't be with us again this year.  We beat ourselves up with memories of past ugly events and negative circumstances. Especially childhood traumas we couldn't control. Anger and hurt feelings appear around relationships that damaged us.Some people even feel shame about being alone at Christmas.  We have…
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