Category Archives: Death of a Father

Death of a Father, Death of a Grandparent, Death of a Mother, Death of a Parent, Emotional Challenges, Emotional Freedom Technique | EFT, Grieving Children, The Mary Mac Show

The Mary Mac Show | Death of a Parent

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In Episode 80, we discuss the challenges we face after the death of a mother, father, stepmother, stepfather, or other individual who raised us and how we can help ourselves during our grieving process.

One of the most difficult deaths to endure in our life will be that of our parent or parents.

We think about it on and off during our life, wondering when and how they will leave us. But when it happens, we are stunned.

If after a long illness, we may have a sense of relief not just that their suffering is ended, but also that we, personally, are now free of the burden of caring for them. And sometimes, that bring guilt with it.

And if there is a sudden death, such as a heart attack, stroke, car accident or other unanticipated death, we are shocked to our core.

Listen in to Episode 80 where I discuss this sorrowful passing of one of the most important figures in your life.

Additional Notes:

Visit Crisis Connections at my website to telephone a trained counselor to speak with whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, confused, frightened, fearful or any host of emotions.

Get my book “Understanding Your Grieving Heart After a Loved One’s Death” to help you learn more about what you’re going through.

Learn the Emotional Freedom Technique here for Stress and Overwhelm. It will soothe you and calm you physically and emotionally. Also spend time in this guided meditation on Self Compassion, which we all need. Dr. Arianna also offers many wonderful tapping and guided-meditations to choose from based upon which is best for you.

You can watch Marissa Peer’s “I Am Enough” meditation.

Treat yourself to a lovely gift from our Heart of Gold “I Remember” Products from The Mary Mac Store.

Remember, a portion of all proceeds help fund The Foundation for Grieving Children, Inc., the first national non-profit public charity which benefits children, teens, young adults after a loved one’s death which I established many years ago.

And visit my sites www.MaryMac.info for your free book – “21 Things You Must Know About the Grieving Process,” and my podcast website www.TheMaryMacShow.com, where you can subscribe to my podcast on your favorite platform as well as rate and review.

And remember to sign up for my private list below, so we can always stay in touch. Since social media is no longer reliable, please complete the form below so I can connect with you via email.

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Death of a Father, Emotional Freedom Technique | EFT, Holidays, The Mary Mac Show

The Mary Mac Show | Father’s Day | Sweet and Bittersweet

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The Mary Mac Show Podcast

In Episode 29, we remember our father and father figures who made an impact on our lives. We also discuss the pain of bereaved fathers, and father’s whose wives are struggling to bear children and fear they will never be called “Dad.”

The pain from a father’s death is often severe especially if we had a wonderful relationship with our Dads.

But, sometimes, our relationship wasn’t as we would expect and we struggle with the ‘what if’s’ and perhaps guilt that may bring.

Yet whatever the relationship, good or bad, that we had with him, we must forgive ourselves and even moreso him for what you needed that you didn’t get, for what you and he said to each other that stung, and all the unfinished business that might still linger that neither of you can do anything about anymore.

We also recognize all the father figures who raised you and cared for you if your Dad died younger than expected.

And we also talk about bereaved fathers who have buried their child, children or even all their children.

Lastly, we look at men who struggle to have children with their wives, those who experience a miscarriage or stillborn child, as well as those who deal with infertility and/or the knowledge that they may never have children of their own. We also remember men who are older now and wished they had children years ago when it was more practical, or those who never found the right women to raise a family.

This can be a very melancholy day for some. Let us acknowledge them all.

Listen in to Episode 29 here or on your favorite podcasting platform.

xoxo

Death of a Father, Spiritual Events

The Innocence of Babes

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I had the privilege recently of speaking with a man who, once he learned of my work, told me a very interesting story.

It seems that both he and his father had been veterans and it had been many years since he was able to visit his father’s grave several states away.

During that time he had finished his deployment overseas, had married and seen the birth of his first child, a daughter who was now 3 and a ball of energy.

It was a melancholy trip since neither his wife nor daughter had ever met his father when his Dad was alive and that saddened him.

But the true joy came when they were walking to the gravesite and as they got closer their little daughter started to wave to the sky. This caused both he and his wife to look at each other with quizzical looks on their faces.

His daughter started to say “Hi…Hi…Hi.” And she nodded her head and seemed quite happy.

This veterans asked if I thought she was seeing her grandfather and I replied that I definitely believed that was the case.

I have personally, as have many I have known, witnessed what others would call ‘strange’ situations when you know the spirit of those who have died were kind enough to visit to bring comfort to those of us who are still living.

He told me that, yes, both he and his wife were thinking that too and it brought them such joy to know that his daughter was able to see his father after all.

When things like this happen, we might find ourselves questioning and perhaps even afraid. But if you look at it in a slightly different way, it can bring you a sense of comfort and confirmation that they are doing well and have come to let you know this. Consider it a beautiful event, similar to when you dream about your loved one. An event that can bring comfort to your soul.

Death of a Father, Grieving Children, Holidays

Review: May He Rest in Peace

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menorah-star-15686513There are a lot of sites online dealing with grief; some are written by people who truly have lived through a personal crisis and will share their experiences, and others who just try to teach you in a professorial mode.

When I found www.mayherestinpeace.com, I was so happy to see that here you are welcomed to make a memorial website for your loved one. And I was additionally grateful to know it was created by a man who has experienced grief on several levels.

David Goldshtein began this site about a year ago to help others through the grieving process. His father, Michael, died at the age of 84 after ten years of illness, having struggled with cancer, kidney disease, etc. And although the doctors told him several times he was at the end of his life, he never gave up, instead pressing on. As a holocaust survivor, he understood the meaning of fighting to live.

His mother has been struggling with Alzheimers for the past ten years. At the young age of only 17, her parents were sent to a labor camp in Siberia by the Russian Government, leaving her to learn to survive as the daughter of political prisoners.

David’s family’s journey has made him sensitive to grief and as he moves into his forties, he had a desire to celebrate their lives and the challenges they overcame by building a wonderful website that would not only house his memories of his Dad, but to give all of us a place to honor our loved ones who had died or were killed.

I am delighted, as Hanukkah, the festival of lights, begins for the Jewish people this year, to share May He Rest In Peace, for you to honor your loved ones.

In addition, David shares articles (which I will contribute to), books on grief (he’s graciously added my Understanding Your Grieving Heart After a Loved One’s Death), and several other areas which will help you on your journey.

Take the time this weekend to visit his site and look around. David Goldshtein has developed a lovely place to not only learn about the grieving process, but to share the life of those we’ve lost and loved.

My newest book, Holiday Grief: How to Cope with Stress, Anxiety and Depression After a Loved One’s Death is now available here.

Death of a Child, Death of a Father, Death of a Friend, Death of a Parent, Death of a Spouse, Death of Business Colleagues, Death of Fiancee, Grieving Children, Homicide, Sudden Death, Terrorism

Why Murder Never Goes Away

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I can’t help but think about all the families affected today by the media reports that the Libya’s dictator, Moammar Gadhafi is dead.

All the families around the world whose lives were irreparably damaged by the commands and actions of this man will once again be thrown into the past revisiting horrific memories of sorrow and loss.

The closest to me, as fellow memories of survivors of homicide groups at the time, were the families of the Syracuse University students who were simply returning a few days before Christmas on Pan Am 103 in December, 1988. These young people had enjoyed a wonderful semester abroad and were coming home for the holiday season through New York’s JFK airport. But they never made it.

It took decades for these 270 victims’ families to get the cooperation of our own government to press for those responsible for the downing of this aircraft and it all led back to Gadhafi. And little justice was ever achieved.

Only months ago, the man supposedly responsible was released from prison because he was terminally ill. After all, we must be compassionate, now shouldn’t we?

As the news of Gadhafi’s death starts to move onto the airwaves, it will only be a few hours until the famous picture of the nose of Pan Am 103 will be up in all forms of media, thus bringing back the sad memories for these families.

I remember specifically one mother whose son was killed on Pan Am 103 and also a student at Syracuse University in upstate New York, telling me how every time she saw that picture of the plane’s nose, it pierced her heart. It brought all the pain and memories back again. It just never seemed to go away.

Well it’s been nearly 23 years since she and the other families both in the United States and those killed on the ground in Lockerbie, Scotland have memorialized their loved ones.

Today, all that pain, all those memories will rush back in.

But I’d like to believe that instead, these US families and families all around the world who were affected by the orders of this ruthless killer, will finally feel some sense of justice, relief and satisfaction today, with the death of this vicious man.