“She’s somebody’s mother, boys, you know. For all she’s aged and poor and slow. And I hope some fellow will lend a hand to help my mother, you understand. If ever she’s poor and old and gray, when her own dear boy is far away.” From the poem “Somebody’s Mother” by Mary Brine When I …
In my work as a Bereavement Counselor and Grief Educator, I will often incorporate relevant Scripture readings, prayers, selected works of poetry, lyrics from beautiful music, provide opportunities for each person in our group to have their grief witnessed and validated, and I even use film clips that can help elicit the wide range of emotions …
Last night we concluded another 6-session cycle of our Bereavement Program at St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish in Spring Lake, NJ to help those who are navigating that difficult journey of grieving the loss of a loved one. I am continually blessed by the inner strength, resilience, and courage that people in grief bring to this …
“Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels. Looking back at the years gone by like so many summer fields. ’65, I was 17 and running up 101. I don’t know where I’m running now, I’m just running on. Running on, running on empty. Running on, running blind. Running on, running into the sun …
“𝙂𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛’𝙨 𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩. 𝘽𝙮 𝙨𝙬𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚’𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙡𝙨, 𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩.”
𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙚𝙢, “𝙂𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙄𝙨 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝘼 𝙍𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧” 𝙗𝙮 𝘾𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙖 𝙂. 𝙆𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮
This article takes a closer look at an issue that often surfaces in grief ministry when a person we love dies alone in those final moments of life without the presence of family and close friends, an experience that became more pronounced for many families grieving a loss during the height of the global pandemic. I also share my own story of losing my brother Dennis who died suddenly at the age of 19 and the healing, closure, and meaning I recently experienced by having the courage to finally visit that sacred ground where God called him home. #griefsupport #bereavementsupport #spiritualcoaching #lifecoaching
Did you ever face a moment at work or in your personal life where an issue comes up that triggers an automatic behavior by default usually taking the form of a deeply held self-limiting belief? For me, the old scripts usually take the form of “you’re not smart enough”, “not good enough” or when facing a project deadline, I hear myself saying “It’s not perfect yet and it needs to be perfect”. In this post, I share some of the tools and exercises we often utilize to help clients create the awareness for how their unique old scripts, stories, self-limiting beliefs, and behaviors may no longer serve their needs, creating a potential pathway for a new script to be written and one where the older stories and beliefs become less prominent. #executivecoaching #careercoaching #lifecoaching #spiritualcoaching #limitingbeliefs
“𝑺𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅, 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈.” 𝑺𝒂𝒎𝒖𝒆𝒍 3: 10 It’s been cold and rainy of late where I live in New Jersey and winters in January can be challenging but last week it was a tad warmer and as I drove along Ocean Avenue on my way to morning Mass, I literally had to stop …
“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙖. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚”. 𝙄𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙗 That old Irish Proverb really resonates for me whenever I see two of my very best friends as I did this past Thursday night over dinner at …
“I thought he’d live forever. He seemed so big and strong. But the minutes fly and the years roll by for a father and his son. I never will forget him, for he made me what I am. Though he may be gone, memory lingers on. And I miss him, my Old Man.” From the …
“Blessed are those that mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 Last Thursday, I did what I have always done on every April 20th, attending Mass at the church of my youth, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Ridgewood, NJ in commemoration of my late brother Dennis who died unexpectedly 51 years ago. At …
