by Julia Rajtar, M.A.P.S., BCC A grief group participant was lamenting the death of her mother, nearly four years after her death. The participant said she is living with the grief, carries it with daily, and is able to blend that death into her...
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by Chaplain Julia Rajtar, MAPS, BCC Years ago, I attended a volleyball camp. I remember how much I wanted to attend, because I wanted to learn skills to become a better player, having learned all I could from others around me. I will...
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By Chaplain Julia Rajtar, MAPS, BCC Sometimes I think I need to wear a t-shirt that says, Be Kind to me, my mom just died. It seems that as I walk around, unable to focus, my heart broken from sorrow and sadness, life all around me goes on as if...
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by Chaplain Julia Rajtar, MAPS, BCC After a loved one dies, we seek consolation from the pain of their absence. One of the ways the bereaved find meaning out of the death is through the lens of faith. Many have said “my faith teaches me...
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by Chaplain Julia Rajtar, MAPS, BCC “I need to be tough for my kids. They don’t need to see me cry,” one parent said to me about their 3 and 7-year-old children. As we began exploring this statement, it became evident that the parent...
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by Chaplain Julia Rajtar, MAPS, BCC A woman, living in a smaller rural community, was grocery shopping. Her husband had died only 2 weeks prior. As she was shopping, people would stop and ask her, “How are you?” Her grief so new and...
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by Chaplain Julia Rajtar, M.A.P.S., BCC My best friend recently moved away. We have been friends since high school and have shared a lot through the years. She became one of my mother’s “adopted” daughters years ago and one of the family. Her own...
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by Chaplain Julia Rajtar As we gather to celebrate this joyous season with family and friends, we also gather in sadness after a loved one has died. In a time of joy and merriment, it can be difficult to feel merry and bright. Even more...
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by Chaplain Julia Rajtar, MAPS, BCC How do I know I’m grieving right? How do I know I’m getting better? When should I seek additional help? These are great questions! There is no “one size fits all” answer to these questions...
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by Chaplain Julia Rajtar, MAPS, BCC I called a friend whose wife died this summer, and as we were talking he surprised me by saying, “my dad died only a month after Sally, and my mom, three weeks after my dad.” By the time he finished his...
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By Chaplain Julia Rajtar, MAPS, BCC A woman’s mother recently died, and she was asking for some ideas on ways to remember and honor her mother, on her birthday. We discussed her mother, who she was, and what she valued. Based upon the...
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by Chaplain Julia Rajtar What do you tell a child after their mother or father, or a sibling has died? Families struggle with thoughts such as: I’m not sure what to say, I don’t want to cause more pain, I want to protect them from this pain so...
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