Thought for today, found on Beliefnet:

You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head,
but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair.
- Chinese Proverb

This brings to mind a conversation I had this week with a friend, whose sister had the combined losses last year of an unwanted divorce followed by the accidental death of her 19 year old son. My friend lives about 3 hours from her sister; her sister's grief has been tremendous and we were discussing how hard it is to know how to help someone. And that everyone's grief journey is their own to take, in their own way.

In respecting someone's mourning, and their individual ways to work through the process, how do you know when it is not working for them? I would love to hear what you think is the fine line between healthy mourning and realizing a friend or loved one may be in trouble?

Springboard's™ programs and services are designed for you, regardless of where you are in life's journey. We invite you to explore and share our resources with employers, groups, organizations, professionals or anyone supporting others through a transition. Visit us today at http://www.launchingnewlives.com/

Home For Easter

When children lose a parent, no matter when, it is tremendously sad. At a holiday, especially one that we think of as a special time for children, one that by its very origin means new life, it seems especially cruel. We cannot help but think forward to future holidays that will be forever linked with a painful loss.

And yet, could there be a more meaningful or powerful time of year in the Christian faith for a loved one to die? Can the daily changing landscape of new life remind us of the continuity of life, our lives, our rebirth? Is there a measure of solace to be found in the Easter Story?

This Easter, we know of three small children who lost their Dad. Only forty-four, he had seemed to be healthy, until he died on Thursday. His wife had to plan a funeral for Easter Monday.

Upon reflection, this story is too frequently told in our newspapers and on the evening news; it just really hits home when it is someone you know personally. Such as...

• my friend, who was a Dad out for an evening run at age 38; he was found by a neighbor, the week before Christmas. He left a wife with three small daughters.
• my friend and former co-worker, a Dad in his forties, at home with his teenaged son, who started CPR to no avail. He left a wife with a teenaged daughter and son.

And now, another friend with whom I worked, who always glowed with stories of his two sons and then their young daughter. The soldier, Boy Scout Leader, active church volunteer, loving husband, responsible employee....and Dad. We hope that his family will find comfort and reassurance in the Easter Story, this year and every year.

We will miss you, Brian.

Springboard's™ programs and services are designed for you, regardless of where you are in life's journey. We invite you to explore and share our resources with employers, groups, organizations, professionals or anyone supporting others through a transition. Visit us today at http://www.launchingnewlives.com/

Dealing With Grief. 7 Stages Of Grief

A Closer Look At The 7 Stages Of Grief

Unfortunately, many unplanned life transitions are not only unplanned, but emotionally traumatic, and resulting in secondary losses over a period of time. These secondary losses compound the grief, and may have similar financial consequences to the original event.

Losing your health, job, or marriage (through divorce or a death) can result in a prolonged period of grief, and at those times you do not have to try to go it alone. It is indeed wise to get help in order to most successfully move through the transition process, and rebuild and renew your life.

While grieving, you can be vulnerable to making unwise decisions with costly consequences; there is no reason to try to risk your assets and emotional well being when the Springboard Group is devoted entirely to helping people through difficult life transitions such as yours.

According to most experts, successfully coping with this type of loss involves going through seven different stages of grief. (Source: Recover-From-Grief.com, 2008)

These stages of grief include…

Shock and Denial: Characterized by the feeling of a numb disbelief or denial that the loss has even occurred; it is possible for this stage to last several weeks

Pain and Guilt: May be characterized by feeling as if you didn't do enough to prevent the loss; a very painful, yet necessary, stage

Anger and Bargaining: May involve lashing out at others in anger or trying to make deals to change the outcome, such as "I will go to church every day if you bring him back"
Depression and Reflection: Characterized by feelings of sadness and reflecting on the things you used to do with the person that was lost or the job that was lost
The Turning Point: Characterized by starting to calm down and get more organized

Problem Solving: Characterized by seeking out realistic solutions to the problems you are facing due to the loss

Acceptance: Characterized by accepting the loss, though that does not necessarily equate to happiness

Going through these stages of grief can be a long and painful process. In addition, it is important to note that everyone moves through this grieving process at his or her own pace. Therefore, you should never compare yourself to others who are in the grieving process.

Springboard's™ programs and services are designed for you, regardless of where you are in life's journey. We invite you to explore and share our resources with employers, groups, organizations, professionals or anyone supporting others through a transition. Visit us today at http://www.launchingnewlives.com/