This morning I had the pleasure of chatting on the radio with Audrey Pellicano who is also a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist. She lives and works in NYC. Her show is called “Grief Relief with Audrey Pellicano”. Audrey’s husband passed away from leukemia and she has dedicated her life to helping others. We have a lot in common and it was a terrific interview. One of the questions that Audrey asked me was why I wrote Six Word Lessons on Coping with Grief. It was an easy answer because the opportunity fell into my lap so to speak and I promised my son that I would help people who are grieving and those who are afraid of death. Each of the 100 lessons have six words and then are described in 40 words or less. My book has helped many people and I hope will continue to be a resource for those who need it.
My first book Over the Rainbow Bridge had a strong impact on Audrey because she said that it opens the door for people who have had after death experiences or spiritual contact with loved ones who have passed over the rainbow bridge and could help them to feel that their experiences are okay. I once had a man tell me that he had a near death experience as a child. When he tried to tell people about it, he was told not to speak of it because no one would believe him and people would think he was crazy. He called me and told me how my book had validated his experience for him and that after several decades of thinking he was weird he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. I had not thought of that man until today. I hope he felt safe enough to share his experience with his loved ones.
Audrey and I also talked about how to get through the holidays. Sometimes the grief hits you like a big wave…it can knock you off balance or make you feel as if you are drowning. As in a previous blog post about how to survive the holidays, Audrey and spoke about how difficult the holiday season can be on those who are grieving. She asked my opinion on the most important tip I could offer during this time. I told her that we must honor those who have left us and not try to pretend they didn’t exist or that they are just away. Be sure to include your loved ones in your holiday celebrations because they are still with you in spirit and deserve to be remembered. If your regular rituals are creating too much stress for you because of your loss, make new ones.
Please be sure to take good care of yourself during the stress of getting through the holidays without your loved one. He or she is with you in your heart and in your memories. Cherish those you love who are still here but try to focus on all of the good times you had with the person who died. Be grateful for the time you had together and get good sleep, eat healthy foods and be well.
Live Aloha,
Shirley
Leave a Reply