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Unity Deferred It was an awfully complicated week to be a Hillary supporter. Her voters headed into the Democratic National Convention in Denver with anger, with threats to reprise 1968. Then came the swelling of pride, as Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton gave what many considered the speech of her life. But, oh, the regret: if only she had campaigned with that kind of oratory! By the time Mrs. Clinton graciously called for the convention to nominate Senator Barack Obama by acclamation, some of her supporters were working their way toward acceptance, wiping tears but nodding as she declared that the...

WASHINGTON, June 23, 2008 – Losing a parent or sibling who served in the military can be devastating to children, but they don’t have to cope alone. Monica Williams, 4, of Honolulu, was delighted to see her 2007 Good Grief Camp mentor, Javaris Warthen, when she came back to camp this year. For children attending the camp, a relationship with a mentor helps them cope with the loss of a loved one who served in the military. Monica's father, Sgt. Eugene Williams, died in Iraq in 2003. Photo courtesy of TAPS  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Thanks to...

Texas soldier's father calls son's death 'a waste'Sgt. Gregory Unruh, 28, died in vehicle rollover in Iraq Sgt. Gregory Daniel Unruh was in search of an adventure when he enlisted in the Army. But after five months in Iraq, the war was not what he expected, his father said Tuesday. The 28-year-old Unruh died March 19 in Mandali, Iraq, from injuries suffered when his military vehicle rolled over during a reconnaissance mission. The incident remains under investigation. ... "I think it's a waste of his life," said an emotional Anthony Unruh, his father. "I don't think anybody should die that...

Harry Potter: The Archetype of an Abortion Survivor By Marie Peeters-Ney, MD and Philip G. Ney, M.D., M.A., FRCP(C), FRANZCP, RPsychOriginally published in Catholic Insight December 2003Republished with permission and encouragement of authors One could speak about a worldwide "Harry Potter phenomenon," appearing soon after the Pokemon craze. The object of this discussion is to reflect on the possible reasons for the remarkable popularity of Harry Potter. Can the current craze be only due to good marketing skills? Does this book have exceptional literary value? Could the book be an indicator of a deeper cultural trend?  We wish to hypothesize...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Abortion is frequently considered a woman's issue and one where men should have little no role in the decision and likely have little or no ill-effects afterwards. However, one man who regularly counsels men who have been involved in an abortion says that claim is unfounded. Kevin Burke is the associate director of Rachel's Vineyard Ministries, a group that reaches out to those adversely affected by an abortion to provide them hope and healing.In an interview with Zenit, Burke says men suffer from a myriad of problems following a partner's abortion -- especially one in which...

Proponents of grief theory add fuel to debateIt was August 1955, in a small town outside Sydney, Australia. A 16-year-old girl walked into a house, 10 weeks pregnant with a grown man's baby. The man -- a family friend -- had given the teenager an envelope stuffed with money and put her on a train to go have an abortion. Nearly 45 years later, Julie Kelly confronted her deeply buried feelings about that abortion while passing through Seattle. A pamphlet for retreats with a group called Project Rachel promised healing. Two years later, in 2000, Kelly flew to Seattle from...

In this hour of profound grief, all of us need to maintain a coping mechanism to deal rationally with our rage and grief, doubts and fears, and still remain balanced enough not to feel prejudice against any person, race or color. And not to despair beyond life itself. "I can't believe that such a thing could happen here." is a classic statement of denial. Denial is among the first stages of grief. Another manifestation of denial is refusing to acknowledge that we are susceptible to anger, depression, self-blame and other expressions of grief, because of pride. Blame is a coping...

Within hours of the massacre of more than 30 people at Virginia Tech University, the president of the university issued his first statement on the evil that had just engulfed the college campus and concluded with this: "We're making plans for a convocation tomorrow at noon in Cassell Coliseum for the university to come together to begin the healing process from this terrible tragedy." In this photo provided by the Collegiate Times, ambulances wait on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Va., following multiple shootings, Monday, April 16, 2007. At least 30 people have been reported killed. (AP Photo/Collegiate Times)...

Up to 25 percent of people in whom psychiatrists would currently diagnose depression may only be reacting normally to stressful events such as a divorce or losing a job, according to a new analysis that reexamined how the standard diagnostic criteria are used. ...Diagnoses are currently made on the basis of a constellation of symptoms that include sadness, fatigue, insomnia and suicidal thoughts. The diagnostic manual used by doctors says that anyone who has at least five such symptoms for as little as two weeks may be clinically depressed. Only in the case of someone grieving over the death of...

I write this to say goodbye for now to my wife of 50 years: a sweet woman we lovingly nicknamed "Great Granny Grumbles".

Dear FReepers, I need your prayers tonight. My 14 year old son was killed in a traffic accident today. Please pray for us.

<p>He was killed in a freak accident in Cairns, police sources said. It is understood he was killed by a sting-ray barb that went through his chest.</p> <p>He was swimming off the Low Isles at Port Douglas filming an underwater documentary and that's when it occured.</p>

<p>SHOCKED members of the public have begun laying flowers in memory of Steve Irwin at his family's animal park, Australia Zoo, north of Brisbane.</p> <p>Meanwhile, radio networks in Brisbane were jammed by callers this afternoon who could not believe the Crocodile Hunter was dead.</p>

Last night my son's 15 year old friend was struck and killed by lightening. Tyler was such a good boy, an exceptional athlete, an honor student and from such a wonderful family. He was the workhorse, the leader in deeds and behavior. Needless to say the kids are devastated. They have been together forever, it seems. We are all devastated. No one in their wildest dreams would expect God to suddenly reach down and Tyler home. It broke my heart holding my 15 year old son as he was crying like a baby, a scene repeated over and over in...

ZAGREB (AFP) - Suma, a 45-year-old elephant and long-time resident of the Zagreb Zoo, was bereaved and inconsolable after her pachyderm partner of tens years died of cancer. Until she heard Mozart. "Suma became very depressed after her roomie Patna died in early May," head of Zagreb Zoo Mladen Anic told AFP on Thursday. "She was refusing to eat, became uncommunicative, showed all the signs of a serious depression." Then, by sheer accident, Suma's keepers discovered that the healing power of Mozart extends to the animal kingdom too. Earlier this month, the zoo the zoo organized a concert of classical...

Diagnosis 1. Symptoms "I'm not going to lose my mom," the young man's voice cracked with feeling. Beside him a half-dozen men and women in scrubs swarmed around the gurney rolling the woman into a cubicle in the I.C.U. The patient's face had a deathly pallor, her light brown hair was dark with sweat, her mouth was open and her chest heaved as she struggled to breathe. "We'll do our best," the doctor assured him, as he observed the woman and the monitors that showed just how sick she was. The young man, who was in his mid-20's, grabbed the...

Michael Berg, a Green Party candidate for Congress in Delaware, announced on national television that he regretted the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He didn’t blame al-Zarqawi for beheading an American contractor. The man responsible was President Bush — “the real terrorist.” Any other politician would have been vilified for saying that. But Berg, as the father of the American who was beheaded, belongs to a new politically invulnerable class. Arguing with someone in mourning just isn’t done — unless, of course, you are Ann Coulter and you have a new book to sell. She managed to offend everyone from...

Michelle Reed Cantley is part of a national network of photographers who take pictures of stillborn and dying babies. (Photo by Marvin Fong) Parents Cherish Photos of Stillborn Babies BY SUSAN GLASER Hours after Connie King gave birth to a stillborn boy, a stranger arrived, carrying a camera. Photographer Michelle Reed Cantley entered the room and quickly went to work, posing baby Nicholas on the couple's bed and in the arms of his parents, hoping to capture both his beauty and his peace.         Mark and Connie King of Hinckley Township, Ohio, embrace their stillborn son,...

Detroit Police Investigate DETROIT -- A 6-year-old boy's 911 call for help was thought to be a prank, but the call was real and the boy's mother died, according to WDIV-TV in Detroit. Robert Turner called 911 to get help for his mother, Sherel Turner, 46, whom he found lying unconscious on the kitchen floor of their Detroit apartment in February, the station reported. "Then I had felt her tummy. She wasn't breathing. Then I had called 911," said Robert. "I told them to send an emergency truck right now." 911 Operator: "911. What's the problem?" Robert: "My mom has...

Help Freepers; Some dear friends just lost their baby due to miscarriage. I want to help them but being a single male I am clueless. Help please!

From personal experience I know how, when a person has recently lost a loved one, the prospect of celebrating Christmas can be daunting. The joyfulness of the Christmas observance diminished, at best, and, in some instances, overwhelmed completely with a renewed sense of loss. The following was sent to me at a time I really needed it ~ I post it here in the hope it will also help to bring a special comfort to any here who may be grieving this Christmas.

Cindy Sheehan, left, waves to supporters after arriving at Waco Regional Airport in Waco, Texas, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005. Sheehan has returned to Texas and her anti-war vigil outside President Bush's ranch near Crawford.

The liberal media is delighted with Cindy Sheehan. This is the woman who lost a son in Iraq and has camped outside President Bush's Crawford Ranch, intending to stay until the President speaks with her or returns to Washington. For the reporters waiting around in the dusty heat of West Texas, Ms. Sheehan is a godsend, a dramatic, heart-wrenching story that gives the media both a telegenic drama and another opportunity for indulging their dislike of Bush and the war in Iraq.

LONDON – In America and Britain, the grief of parents who lost sons or daughters in Iraq has become a potent political weapon - much more so than in other recent wars. In my view, these moms and dads have been badly let down by both sides of the war debate. The war's authors have offered little justification for the sacrifices made by loved sons and daughters in Iraq, which has allowed the families' raw grief to fester into public anger - and the war's opponents have sought cynically to exploit the families' sorrow for political ends. Currently, Cindy Sheehan...

Grief counselling a waste of time, say psychologists By Raj Persaud (Filed: 04/06/2005) Bereavement counselling - long considered by psychologists to be vital in recovering from the death of a loved one - may be a waste of time, according to a new study. The research challenges a belief that has been firmly held by psychoanalysts since Sigmund Freud proposed in 1917 that confronting feelings is the healthiest way to cope with bereavement. Many psychoanalysts have even argued that failure to express grief indicates - or may lead to - deep psychological problems. These days, bereavement counsellors often urge people...

12 Year Old Pitches No-Hitter,Day After Dad Is Buried Douglas Maher-All Headline News Reporter June 3,2005 3:15 EST BINGHAMTON,NY(AHN)- As Wayne Bonsell Jr. stood on the pitcher's mound at Booth Field on Wednesday night, he tried to remember all of the lessons his father had taught him. "Concentrate, take a deep breath before every pitch." This was not just another seasonal game for Wayne Jr.,this one held special meaning like no other before he took the mound. A day earlier, he had said goodbye to his father for the last time. Wayne Bonsell Sr., 39, was one of three workers...

In the months after her son took his own life in 2001, Rhunette Long began attending meetings of a self-help group for suicide survivors. At each session, attendees retold the specifics of their loved ones' deaths. Some had been coming and doing this for years. "They were sobbing, and they kept saying they were angry at the person who died," says Ms. Long, a 62-year-old retiree in Gilbert, S.C. Group members told Ms. Long that she'd need to go through her "anger phase," too. But she didn't feel angry at her son, and didn't believe that publicly reliving her loss...

An Open Letter to Terri 04/06/05 Dearest Terri, How can it be? How can I have loved you so much without ever having met you? How can my country have abandoned you and starved you to death? How can it be? I first heard of you on Catholic radio in 2003. Johnette Benkovic and Fr. Edmund Sylvia let us listeners know that a disabled woman might be killed merely because she couldn’t speak for herself. I began praying for you then, but suddenly the wheels of injustice had begun to crush you. Your starvation and dehydration began, and I wept...

A Glimpse Ahead Timothy Snodgrass The Impossible Will Come Alive In 2005 01/28/05 In January of 2004, as we began to intercede for the New Year the Holy Spirit gave us the prophetic slogan, "The Seas will Roar in 2004". This year we were given a new slogan, "The Impossible will come Alive in 2005". As the veil of darkness begins to come down over nations and regions, along with great shakings will come great breakthroughs; signs, wonders, healings and a spectacular release of miracles in impossible circumstances. This year, although we are ultimately poised to gain much ground, there...

Well, at least someone is smiling.

Theodore Dalrymple The Sob Factor Quiet grief and private dignity are now things of the past.11 November 2004 Three British soldiers, members of a famous regiment called the Black Watch, died recently in a car-bomb explosion in Iraq—the first British soldiers to perish this way in the terror-plagued country. For a few days, the British press and broadcasting media treated the event as if nothing else in the world mattered. The reaction was little short of hysterical, no doubt to the encouragement and pleasure of future car-bombers.As is now usual whenever tragedy strikes, the press and broadcasters went straight to...

Deseret Morning News, Sunday, August 15, 2004Grief, anger, love fill mother's heartCopyright 2004 Deseret Morning NewsBy Jennifer DobnerDeseret Morning News OREM — It was the Thursday after Lori Hacking was reported missing and Thelma Soares, Lori's mother, had gone to the hospital to see her son-in-law, Mark. Thelma Soares asks July 20 that the search for her daughter continue.Ryan Long, Deseret Morning News At the time it seemed that Mark Hacking had collapsed with grief over the disappearance of his newly pregnant wife. He was undergoing psychological testing at the University of Utah Medical Center and had been incoherent when...

Parents of slain Kim Seon-il broke down upon hearing the news of his death. Kim Jung-sook, a sister of Kim Seon-il, wails. Kim Seon-il during his military service (middle) Kim Seon-il's funeral in preparation His Alma Mater mourns his death. Parent of Kim Seon-il holding his photo Ambassadors to S. Korea from Mid-Eastern countries confering at Foreign Ministry Muslims walk by at a Mosque in Seoul, S. Korea while police are watching.

Beheadings cause Muslims grief By Uwe Siemon-Netto UPI Religious Affairs Editor BORDEAUX, France, Jun. 21 (UPI) -- European specialists on Islamic affairs fear that the beheadings of Americans and other foreigners in the Middle East will trigger a severe anti-Muslim backlash. "These barbaric acts have been catastrophic for the prospects of Muslims in France," said Bruno Guiderdoni, one of the country's foremost Koran scholars. "A discernable shift has occurred in public attitudes," he said. "Its most dangerous aspect is a new hostility even among the once-liberal French intellectuals against our religion." Two years ago, a three-judge panel cleared bestselling author...

MOURNING IN AMERICA? Many headline writers and phrase-makers are writing that much of America is "in mourning" over the death Saturday of former President Ronald Reagan. I wonder how true this is-- how many Americans--even those who unreservedly admired Reagan's politics and personality -- are experiencing the genuine grief and sorrow that we usually associate with mourning.

As a retired Army chaplain, let me side with the Department of Defense in its insistence that the family be the first to know the identity of any flag-draped coffin. It seems a simple, compassionate answer, but so many in the media have difficulty understanding it. It is important that everyone first understand the casualty notification system of the military. It is based on one over-riding premise: The next of kin gets first information delivered personally. In other words, one doesn't leave information of a casualty with a neighbor or friend and have them tell the affected family. One doesn't...

7 teenagers die in Millington joyride Why? By Chris Conley Contact March 1, 2004 A late-night joyride turned to tragedy when a 15-year-old crashed the car he was driving into a tree near Millington, killing himself and six friends. A passing motorist discovered the crushed car and the teens on Chambers Road, between Quito and Epperson Mill roads, about 2:30 a.m. Sunday. Police said they did not know exactly when it happened. The teens, all students at Millington Middle School, were dead when police arrived. They were identified as Michael Fradella, 15, the driver; and passengers Trey Hannah, 15; Lauren...

Hillsborough grief hollow, says report Feb 23 2004 By Alan Weston, Daily Post THE public outpourings of emotion after the Hillsborough disaster and the Jamie Bulger murder are examples of a culture of over-the-top caring where people indulge in "recreational grief" to feel better about themselves, a new report claims. The no-holds-barred analysis of 21st century Britain - published by social policy think-tank Civitas - said such "hollow expressions of public caring" had been triggered by the decline of institutions which once gave meaning to people's lives, such as the family, Church and neighbourhood. The national mourning at the death...

Subject: GOOD GRIEF! By Dr. Peter Moore GOOD GRIEF! By Peter Moore At the close of the American Anglican Councils remarkable conference in Dallas on October 9, as 2,700 Episcopalians prepared to return to their churches and dioceses, I went back to my room and wept. I was not unhappy with the conference. It was an astounding show of support for a biblically orthodox witness within our Church. Coming when it did - shortly before the crucial meeting of Anglican Primates at Lambeth and the subsequent consecration of V. Gene Robinson in New Hampshire - it sent a message. Eight...

Home The Sadness of Life After Abortion    FR. WILLIAM SAUNDERS Recently I read an article about the effects of abortion, which included "post abortion syndrome." Could you please explain what that is? Post Abortion Syndrome (PAS) falls under the category of "post-traumatic stress disorder." The American Psychiatric Association (APA) defines a post-traumatic stress disorder occurring when "the person has experienced an event that is outside the range of usual human experience that would be markedly distressing to almost anyone." Clearly, abortion, the direct killing of an innocent human life, fits this definition. Consequently, the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical...

PERSONAL HEALTH It is commonly assumed in this therapy-oriented world that nearly every grieving person can benefit from bereavement counseling or therapy. But both the experience of psychologists who provide bereavement services and a thorough review of the literature on the results of grief therapy suggest otherwise. Rather, the findings suggest, a majority of people who suffer the loss of a loved one neither need nor benefit from participation in a bereavement group or from more formal grief therapy. These people experience what might be called a normal grief reaction, and the symptoms of it gradually diminish over 6 to...

<p>"To my little angel. Although I say goodbye today, you will always be with my mind, heart and soul. Please understand that this wasn't your time because you are better off in the hands of God than mine at this moment."</p>

<p>Yes, I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried when Old-Yeller died. Reading that book as a kid was almost more than I could handle.</p> <p>As a boy running along the shores of Catahoula Lake in central Louisiana, I always had dogs as hunting companions, best friends and guardians.</p>

Beware the 5 Stages of "Grief" Editorial - TLC Group, Dallas Texas Few concepts have insinuated themselves into the popular culture as thoroughly as the so called "5 Stages of Grief": Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. We've heard it from professionals in all areas of the healthcare system (who should know better) as well as from lay persons of all ages (who shouldn't). There is even a lengthy comedy routine about it by Dustin Hoffman playing Lenny Bruce in the movie Lenny. The time has now come to ditch it as the concept has done more harm than good. Three...

~Saying good bye~ Dealing with loss, and surviving...Learning to live with death, divorce, absence, separation, and change. Escaping uncertainty, fear, loneliness, bitterness, emptiness, anger or hate.Grief, and how to cope, is far too difficult a topic to stumble upon with simple words. No one, least of all me, could possibly understand the full range of pain, or the depth of emotion each of us feel at that dreadful moment when we experience a real loss. Dealing with the loss after all, is a vital first step on the long journey to healing. Each of us must confront this necessary...

When the Episcopal Church confirmed a gay bishop, Paul Wilcox put on black trousers, a black shirt and a black tie. Then he got out a can of black Rust-Oleum and painted over the word "Episcopal" on the lawn sign at St. Andrew's Church in West Nashville, Tenn., where he has been a parishioner for 15 years. "I just felt that this was a very grave mistake and a very mournful day," said Wilcox, 45, who received permission from the church's rector to alter the sign. Across the country, conservative Episcopalians have been grieving since the church's general convention voted...

QUESTION: Isn't Isiah 53:4 a mistranslation for the words "pain" and "suffering" as grief and sorrows?

The widow of a West Virginia soldier killed in Afghanistan wants grief counseling. but is having trouble getting it from support groups for nine-eleven victims. Lisa Vance's husband, Gene, was the first West Virginian killed in Afghanistan. He was killed in May 2002 during an attack by al-Qaida and Taliban forces. The Morgantown woman says six organizations have refused her request for emotional support and counseling and blatantly told her she wasn't a victim of 9-11. Vance says she hasn't had financial difficulties after losing her husband and isn't interested in money from the September Eleventh groups. A Red Cross...

A vulnerable nation in grief acknowledges strength We awoke Saturday morning, a nation brought to its knees once again; a reminder of how short our journey, how vulnerable our steps and how needed our focus must be. True courage was seen in their eyes. Sacrifice to nation, family and self, doing that which was of importance. Gratitude must be given, for their passionate love of the skies will not die, but continue throughout generations. However, with this tragedy and that of September 11th, we now point to our vulnerabilities, that of being lulled into believing in false security. Today it...