Lessons We Learned From Terri Schiavo -

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Lessons We Learned From Terri Schiavo

Lessons We Learned From Terri Schiavo

Let's talk about Terry Schiavo, since her death illustrated for me many aspects of grief and hope. Who among us was not moved by the drama of her last days? I know I was. Her death was not the way I would want my own death to be. When my time comes, I want no heroic measures, since for me they simply postpone the inevitable. And watching the family feud that took place between her husband and her parents, with all the tension and the anger, saddened me terribly. Peace should be the last emotion Terry felt, but who knows if she heard only the angry words passed between those she loved. No one should have to die as she did.

What a shame. At the same time, look at the two different approaches to grief presented to us, one by her husband Michael and the other by her parents the Schindlers. Michael was clearly ready to "lay her gently down," he was prepared to move on with his new life and to "begin again" with his fiancee and two young children. Some say he was ready a bit too soon, but I disagree. Grief takes as long as it needs, there is no clock for the soul. Her parents, on the other hand, were clearly unable to give her up yet. It is understandable that parents would be so protective of their kids, and I don't know what I would do if, God forbid, one of my own kids was in a similar state.

I am not judging, just pointing out the differences in style and approach in this wrenching drama. For Terri's parents, despite how they may feel now, they must know that there is still hope for them. There is a new future which they will soon help create; there will be new challenges for them and their family which they cannot yet know. When you are grieving, you often lose sight of the future, because the present is so draining. But no matter what has been taken from you there is hope. They still have each other and they still have a life in front of them. I certainly pray that they will find healing and consolation, and that Terri's memories will bring them peace.

In The News:

Daily Planner: July 10
Enterprise-Record, CA - 2 hours ago
Help through grief and loss associated with daily living. Butte County Behavioral Health Drop-In Center, 109 Parmac Road, Suite 2, Chico. 879-3311. Weekly. ...

Community Calendar
Enterprise-Record, CA - 2 hours ago
Living Life's Losses, grief and loss support. Greater Oroville Community Outreach. 533-0780. Bolt Antique Tool Museum: 11:45 am-3:45 pm Unique museum with ...

Beloved pet's death a trying time for
Waterloo Record, Canada - Jul 8, 2008
Most veterinarians have received training on recognizing extreme grief in their clients and helping clients validate that grief. Pet-loss support hotlines ...
Hot weather brings pet warning Orleans Star
all 2 news articles

Stories, Puppets, Jelly Beans Comfort Grieving Children
Tampa Tribune, FL - Jul 7, 2008
"We find most children have had a loss at a very early age," Quinones said. "If they lose a pet, they go through the same grieving process. ...

NewsOK.com (subscription)
Support groups helped grieving mom with loss
NewsOK.com (subscription), OK - Jul 6, 2008
"I don't want to downplay anyone's loss. But the grief when you lose a child is not the same.” Stonebarger stopped going to her counselor. ...

Free Press Leader
Tecoma widow finds no support group for her grief
Free Press Leader, Australia - Jul 8, 2008
As the Tecoma widow tried to cope with her loss and grief, she wanted to talk to other people going through the same pain. But when she asked around about a ...

Scoop.co.nz (press release)
Skylight Appoints Lynne Ewart To The Role Of
Scoop.co.nz (press release), New Zealand - 11 hours ago
Lynne first began counselling children experiencing loss and grief in the late 1980’s at Hutt Hospital, before moving onto Barnardo’s and eventually to Mary ...

Canada.com
Social work gets a bum rap
Canada.com, Canada - 13 hours ago
When Zenia Smith graduated from UBC Okanagan earlier this month, she hoped to find work assisting people dealing with grief and loss. ...

Feds: Signage among factors in fatal team bus crash
CNN - 5 hours ago
Any loss of life on our highway system is tragic and taken very seriously by this department." In Ohio, relatives of those who died expressed grief and ...

Sydney Morning Herald
Tributes to young hero
Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - 2 hours ago
"Though I cannot ease their grief, I want them to know, they are in our thoughts and prayers." He said McCarthy as an experienced, highly skilled and ...

grief loss - Google News

Lessons We Learned From Terri Schiavo

Dealing with Grief & Loss