Category Archives: Grieving Children

The Mary Mac Show | Grieving Children Podcast Series | Death of a Father | Dory Part I

In Episode 182, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dory Fier of Indianapolis, IN, a pediatric social worker, who shares with us the terminal diagnosis her father received and his nine-month battle with glioblastoma, an inoperable brain tumor.

In this first of two episodes, Dory and I delve deeply into all aspects of her father’s battle with glioblastoma, his original stroke misdiagnosis and dealing with paralysis for the remainder of his life.

Dory with her Dad at her wedding

She speaks candidly about how she, her sister and mother rallied around her Dad and cared for him during those nine months, moving him back to Indianapolis where they lived, from his then home in New Mexico.

She also discusses the toll it took on herself mentally, physically and how she juggled it all with her personal and professional life.

Watch the interview on video below:

I am so grateful for the time Dory spent with me and I believe her courage to share this experience will benefit and bless you whether you are going through this struggle now or may in the future.

Listen in next Sunday to hear Part II of our interview.

Much Love to Dory and her family!

xoxo

Additional Notes – Some things that will help along this journey to ease the pain:

If you are having an especially difficult time emotionally, I recommend you speak with a specialist at a hotline near you. Here you will find hotlines all around the world. Trained counselors are there to listen, free of charge, to what’s going on with you. Take advantage of their great kindness. Vent with an objective individual. You don’t have to be ‘suicidal’ to call them, but if you are, that’s the best place to call. Don’t hestitate!

For parents and teens, there is an amazing resource where you can email or text counselors for help at The Boys Town National Hotline! Outstanding assistance for your children and you. You can also dial 988 for assistance.

Visit Julie’s EFT episodes on grief and she will teach you the Emotional Freedom Technique. Her videos calm your spirit and help you release emotional and physical pain as you move forward.

Here are some meditation music to help you rest.

You can order your Bach’s Rescue Remedy from most health food stores, either in person or online. Remember, these do have alcohol in them.

I use the Rescue Remedy 20ml drops but they have spray and other versions which might work better for you. And…they also have products to calm pets, too.

*To find a homeopathic doctor, visit here or here. Many offer phone consultations if you cannot find one in your area. They work with patients around the globe. You can also research in your area of the world.

Grab my free ebook, 21 Things You Need to Know About the Grieving Process, right here on my site.

Please share with anyone who may need this knowledge. Also subscribe, rate and review this podcast on whichever podcast platform you listened in.

The very best individuals to connect with are those who are suffering your exact type of death. Go here.

The Mary Mac Show | Helping Grieving Children and Teens at the Holidays

The Mary Mac Show Podcast

In Episode 159, we begin to discuss how to help our youngest members of our family at Hanukkah and Christmas as they navigate what could be the first holiday season without their loved one.

Our children and even our teens lack the ability to convey their deep pain over losing someone so close to them and we need to express that for them.

Whether they are very young, 6-12 or our teens, our vulnerable children need our tender loving care.

They need our comfort, time, attention, and focus even though we ourselves are suffering.

But if they don’t get your guidance, they will start to search for it in the wrong places and this is not something you want to happen.

Listen in to learn how to comfort and care for your young people at this season.

Additional Notes – Some things that will help along this journey to ease the pain:

If you are having an especially difficult time emotionally, I recommend you speak with a specialist at a hotline near you. Here you will find hotlines all around the world. Trained counselors are there to listen, free of charge, to what’s going on with you. Take advantage of their great kindness. Vent with an objective individual. You don’t have to be ‘suicidal’ to call them, but if you are, that’s the best place to call. Don’t hestitate!

For parents and teens, there is an amazing resource where you can email or text counselors for help at The Boys Town National Hotline! Outstanding assistance for your children and you.

Visit Julie will help you and teach you the Emotional Freedom Technique. Her videos calm your spirit and help you release emotional and physical pain as you move forward.

Here are some meditation music to help you rest.

You can order your Bach’s Rescue Remedy from most health food stores, either in person or online. Click on the little yellow bottle on this page. Remember, these do have alcohol in them.

I use the Rescue Remedy 20ml drops but they have spray and other versions which might work better for you. And…they also have products to calm pets, too.

*To find a homeopathic doctor, visit here or here. Many offer phone consultations if you cannot find one in your area. They work with patients around the globe. You can also research in your area of the world.

Grab my free ebook, 21 Things You Need to Know About the Grieving Process, right here on my site.

You may also wish to order my digital book on Holiday Grief to help you through this time, as well as learning more about How to Help a Grieving Child after a Loved One’s Death. Both are available here.

Please share with anyone who may need to know this. Also subscribe, rate and review this podcast on whichever podcast platform you listened in.

xoxo

The Mary Mac Show | Helping Children and Teens Cope with Grief

The Mary Mac Show Podcast

In Episode 134, we discuss what children and teens experience when dealing with their grief after a loved one’s death and how to help them navigate through this pain.

Many adults believe that if we just put children and teens back into their regular routine, they will be fine.

But this is not the case.

Children and teens need to be supported emotionally, just as you do. They deal with all the pain and physical symptoms that you do.

They need our love, time and especially our attention and understanding as they move through their own grieving process.

Unfortunately, most adults don’t know what young people are going through after a loved one’s death, unless the adult had had this experience when they were young.

Adults are usually so focused on their own grief and the organization of a funeral as well as considering the finances of the household, that they don’t pay as close attention to the young people who look to them for comfort and guidance.

It is important for adults to spend more time with their children and even young adults because it may be the first time they have experience a death and they need our love and attention.

Young children don’t have the language skills to describe what they are feeling and teens, often, don’t want to express themselves.

Listen in to Episode 134 to learn more about how children and teens deal with such a painful time in their lives.

Much Love,
xoxo

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.

Learn the Emotional Freedom Technique here for Moving Forward in Grief. It will soothe you and calm you physically and emotionally.

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

Visit the author’s website for all books on The 5 Love Languages. Always best to purchase books directly from the author. They worked hard to write and publish these wonderful works!

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 remember to pick up my free ebook 21 Things You Must Know About The Grieving Process, and you’ll automatically be signed up for my private email list so we can always stay in touch, since social media is no longer reliable.

The Mary Mac Show | Honoring Mothers

The Mary Mac Show Podcast

In Episode 127, we look at all the mothers and mother figures in our life and how their deaths have affected us as well as the grief felt by those who lost children and those waiting to be called “Mom”.

The pain we feel when our mothers die is severe especially if we had a wonderful relationship with them.

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 her, we must forgive ourselves and even her for what you needed that she didn’t or couldn’t give you, for what you and she 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 mother figures – grandmothers, aunts, stepmothers, foster mothers, older female siblings and others – who raised you and cared for you if your Mom died younger than expected.

We also talk about bereaved mothers who have buried their child, children or even all their children.

Let us not forget all the fathers who raised children and became their mothers as a result of their wives’ deaths, incapacity or abandonment.

Lastly, we look at women who struggle to have children, those who miscarried or had a 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 women who are older now and wished they had children years ago when it was still possible, or those who never found the right husband to raise a family.

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

xoxo

Additional Notes:

To help bring you to emotional stability, visit Julie Schiffman’s youtube channel will teach you the Emotional Freedom Technique. Her videos calm your spirit and help you release emotional and physical pain as you move forward. She has many videos to chose from.

If you need to speak with someone who will understand your pain, visit my Crisis Connection page and find a Crisis Hotline near you. These amazing individuals are trained to help, so do take advantage of their knowledge and help.

Here are some meditation music to help you rest.

*To find a homeopathic doctor, visit here or here. Many offer phone consultations if you cannot find one in your area. They work with patients around the globe. You can also research in your area of the world.

Please share with anyone who may need to know this. Also subscribe, rate and review this podcast on whichever podcast platform you listened in.

The Mary Mac Show | Grieving the Death of a Child

The Mary Mac Show PodcastIn Episode 99, we discuss the death of a child, the overwhelming shock it brings to parents, siblings and other family members and we look at ways to cope and rebuild life without them.

One of the most devastating life experiences is the death of a child.

Whether the death was anticipated, as in the case of illness, or sudden, as in the case of accident, homicide or suicide, the loss of your precious child is something no parent expects to endure in their lifetime.

It goes against the natural order of life. A parent is supposed to die before their child or children.

So when a parent is confronted with this overwhelming event, they are shocked and bewildered. They can’t believe this is happening to them.

It wreaks havoc on their family dynamic, their marriage, their worklife, and the relationships they have with friends and extended family.

Not only are they grieving, but their surviving children and the child’s grandparents are also grieving.

They realize they have so much pain inside themselves and all around them.

And it all needs to be addressed.

In this week’s episode, we look at the many aspects of what happens when a family experiences the death of a child and effective coping skills to help them.

Below, please use the Emotional Freedom Technique to help you stabilize your emotions. It has been a great relief for so many during the grieving process.

Bless you my friend.
xoxo

Additional Notes:

As you know I am a great believer in the power of the Emotional Freedom Technique.

Here are a few videos that I think will help you tremendously:
EFT Video for Grief after Death of a Loved One, How to do Surrogate EFT.

If you need someone to chat with, don’t be shy. It’s totally confidential. Go to Crisis Connections page on my website MaryMac.info to find telephone numbers for Crisis Hotlines around the world.

If you need help finding people who will understand your exact pain, visit my Grief Resources page and look under “Death of a Child.”

Visit my site MaryMac.info/books for additional help, especially my book Understanding Your Grieving Heart After a Loved One’s death, the first and best book to reach for as you deal with your grief and How to Help a Grieving Child After a Loved One’s Death to help your surviving children.

You’re welcome to send your questions to the Contact page on my site.

You can obtain my free ebook entitled 21 Things You Must Know About The Grieving Process, available for immediate download right here on this site.

Please subscribe, rate and review on The Mary Mac Show website or Apple Podcasts!

Please also leave a comment below on this episode.

And I’d love your support of my podcast by buying me a coffee.

Thank you.