Ask Questions Before History is Lost Only by discovering an extensive history in his grandfather’s basement did Jordan Salama learn of his family’s extraordinary journey. Jordan read of his great grandfather’s family leaving the Syrian...
Navigating Grief – Part 3, Blessed Are Those Who Comfort Takeaway: Be real and help with real things In Part 2 of this series, we learned some listening techniques, some questions to ask, and some inoffensive responses to others’ grief. But...
End-of-life poetry Foreword: I wrote this as my wife was steeling herself for a visit to her sister in Oregon. First, Josie was to fly to Portland and take a bus to Corvallis. Then she was to rent a car and drive to Kim’s remote property on a dirt...
Navigating Grief – Part 2, What to Say Takeaway: Listen, ask, connect In Part 1 of this “navigating grief” series, we saw the insensitive things people often say to the grief stricken. We learned why they say them from psychotherapist Megan...
Navigating Grief – Part 1, What Not to Say Takeaway: First, do no harm. Awkward encounters We have all been in that situation, desperately seeking appropriate words for a friend who has lost a loved one. We might have said something we thought...
Everything is a Story I was in a Lyft the other day. I told my driver, Haile, about my business. He was from Eritrea. I wondered if he thought immigrants from the Horn of Africa would use such a service. It seemed like a new idea to him even though...
Tell Their Story Takeaway: Sharing family stories, especially emotional ones, helps people deal with grief. The strength of stories In a Hidden Brain podcast called “The Power of Family Stories,” psychologist Robyn Fivush of Emory University...
The Need for Reflection Takeaway: Grief demands reflection The pressure to reset We often hear advice to focus on the future instead of dwelling on the past. Coaches, business leaders, and even clergy encourage us to move forward after...