I want to emphasize the fact that when we are talking about grief, we never ever want to use the term MOVE ON. The accepted term to describe what happens when life resumes after the experience of a death of a loved one is MOVE FORWARD.

Let’s face it, the term “widowed parent” is a double whammy. To be widowed is one thing. To be sure, being widowed and a parent doubles the challenge.

It’s wintertime now. The days are getting darker earlier and those who are bereaved will likely feel “darker” earlier too. It’s tough to handle grief when it’s dark and dreary to begin with Add the coronavirus pandemic to the mix, and you have a very isolated grieving time, with less light and fewer people around to brighten your days.

Let’s face it: the pandemic is taking a toll on just about everyone.

People have gone through a range of scenarios…

This year, the COVID-19 pandemic is throwing adults way off-kilter, especially during this holiday season which is supposed to come with fun and festivity. This year, not so much.

Do you fall to pieces at the sound of a Christmas song playing in the store? And wonder how one song can ruin your shopping trip? Do you stare at the adult buying a gift for her child as you grieve the loss of yours? Do you want to kick every Christmas tree that you see? Do you want to rip the December page right out of the calendar and hide under the covers until it’s over? You’re not alone.

A while back, a writer from the New York Magazine “Strategist” column asked to interview me on a second grief-related topic…condolence gifts to give…

Flashback to March 2020. I was conducting my grief counseling sessions in a business-as-usual format in my office in midtown Manhattan. Then, there were murmurs that the newly-arrived coronavirus would soon cause us all to stay home.

We all know that holidays can be difficult after the death of a loved one. We tend to think of those holidays as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Passover, Easter, and other big ones. Planning to connect with Halloween celebrations this year? You may feel more “tricked” than “treated.”…

Last year, a reporter from The New York Times called me to interview me about a topic she was researching. She had been noticing that whenever she went to visit a certain relative who was newly widowed, this woman was usually microwaving her dinner ... a simple piece of fish, perhaps. The unusual part is that this woman used to cook and entertain, and make proper meals. So, this was out of character.

Talking to children and teenagers about death can be very challenging. Is your family experiencing a difficult situation involving the death of a loved one – a family member, a special pet, a teacher, a relative, or a friend?

In my grief counseling practice, I am getting inquiries more and more from men and women (sometimes children too) who come to me prior to the death of a loved one. They’re surprised when I say: Yup, that’s anticipatory grief. It’s a “thing”.

Besides Jan Warner’s popular facebook page, I want to share with you her recent book which could be interesting and useful for you. In her book, Ms. Warner uses her extensive experience (after the death of her husband a decade ago) with the experiences of the two million followers on her Facebook page to offer hope, in practical ways.

Well, here we are. We are over a month into the coronavirus pandemic, in social isolation at home and even, when possible, working remotely from wherever works best in your living space. Each of us in some way – small or large – are grieving our own losses.

Here we are in a situation in which people of all ages, genders, races, ethnicities, professions, etc. are dying at a time when in all likelihood, they ORDINARILY WOULD NOT BE DYING.

Questions you might be thinking to yourself:

I know someone who died from the Coronavirus. How Can I process this?

My loved one died from the Coronavirus. How can I grieve through this?

The children are asking if their grandparents, or even their parents, will die from the Coronavirus. What should I tell them?

Grief does not stop just because the coronavirus started.

The more time we spend in social distancing and isolation, the more time we are alone with our thoughts. Sometimes we find ourselves grieving more. Sometimes we even start to “regrieve,” actually grieving all over again.

I don’t have to be a rocket scientist to tell you that grief can be an extremely lonely and isolating experience. The way in which your loss affects you is very much an individual experience and only you know its full impact on your body, mind, and soul. Essentially, it feels like you and your grief are alone together.

One of the hardest parts of the immediate days and weeks following the death of a loved one is the return to the workplace, where many people spend up to eight or more hours a day with their colleagues, clients, customers, patients, and students.

Christmas and Hanukkah are almost here, and while adults are strategizing how to survive the holidays, children are likely to be wondering the same thing, in their own quiet way, with little ability to articulate the questions which will bring them the answers. Here are some pointers to keep in mind and HELP YOU HELP THE GRIEVING CHILDREN in your life “make it through.”