Abigail Carter: the Alchemy of Loss: A Young Widow’s Transformation

A Huffington Post article posted today discussed the idea of grief being medically classified as a mental illness, treatable with medications much the way depression is handled by the medical community. The article was based on an article that was published in The New York Times on Jan 25th. While...

As we bump down the messy path of childhood to teen-dom, I have often found myself explaining away unexplainable kid behavior as being related to the trauma of their childhoods, the lack of a dad, their grief. Irrational eruptions over homework are explained as unexpressed grief from their tumultuous...

I went to a reading on Sunday at Elliot Bay Books in Seattle (great independent bookstore) for a book called 1000 Mitzvahs. Linda Cohen began writing by blogging about her daily random acts of kindness – Mitzvahs – a mission she set about completing as a way of overcoming...

Missing the moment with my iPhone The bird found himself in my room despite no doors or windows being open anywhere in the house. He flapped around the far window trying desperately to find his way out. I whispered to him. “It’s OK. Stay calm,” as I moved slowly toward...

Carter playing taps at the interment of R. E. Smallwood, July 14th, 2011 We’re in Montreal today, having just interred my grandfather into the most beautiful cemetery at the top of Mont Royal. Carter played taps beautifully as the ashes were lowered into the ground. It was a hard swallow moment....

I’ve been slogging away on my chapter about Love Addiction. I keep writing and every time I finish a sentence, it feels like the next sentence should be “I guess I really need to attend a Love Addicts Anonymous meeting.” I will admit that I am curious, but something...

I found myself writing a comment on the blog of a another widowed blogger about kid anxiety and thought I would share what tiny morsels of wisdom I have gleaned over the years: The anxiety thing in “grief” kids is so hard. And so common. Both my kids have struggled...

Despite all that chatter about staying stuck in widowhood, or perhaps because of it, I have been attempting to write about Arron for the new book I hope to write. Oddly, I am finding this infinitely difficult to do and keep finding ways of distracting myself, so I don’t...

My last post generated quite a lively discussion and so I thought I would try and hone in on some of the issues it raised. In particular, Shafeen’s comment: Perception is an interesting and complex thing – it is generally created with a few “sticky” labels – and once...

I’m trying not to dwell on the fact that a 9-year old girl, born on 9/11/01 was shot down in cold blood this weekend. I hadn’t, until now ever thought of babies born on 9/11/01, moments of happiness on such a mournful day. I know I’m not the only...