original author unknown “It Was God’s Will” Human beings do not have the omniscience to determine the will of God, and most bereaved will not care anyway. Such statements paint God as a cruel and vicious force that would tear a person away from those who loved him/her without any consideration for the survivor. “I […]
Category Archives: Poems and Reflections
March
12
*POOF*
posted by Peggy Sweeney
by Tom Wyatt He was just right here and then *poof* he was gone, It seems like it was only yesterday but in truth it’s been so long. I used to be afraid that I’d forget his funny little laugh or his sweet crooked smile. He was just right here but it’s been such long. […]
February
12
Broken Soul
posted by Peggy Sweeney
by Tammy Craw My name is Tammy. I am a 48-year-old single mother that raised three children on my own. On October 18th 2010, my life changed forever. This is my story. I had been taking my 18-year-old daughter, Kyraa, to doctors and emergency rooms for a year or more due to a very bad […]
November
30
To My Dear Husband
posted by Peggy Sweeney
by Renee Olsen-Tyler September 12, 2012 Not sure what is coming over me tonight Another night in the roller coaster of this awesome journey that I must walk maybe you are near but the tears flow my heart aches deeply In just a couple days it will be 7 months since you placed your cowboy […]
October
01
The Wooden Bowl
posted by Peggy Sweeney
Based on an original story by Leo Tolstoy found on the World Wide Web A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and Failing […]
August
07
The Trial (a poem)
posted by Peggy Sweeney
by Tammy Craw Kyraa’s Mom Wish I could plug,,, My mommies ears. Things will be said,,, I do not want her to hear. Wish I could cover,,, My mommies eyes. Pictures will be shown,,, That make her cry. Wish I could hold,,, My mommies hand. While she listens to,,, The witnesses on the stand. Wish […]
July
18
Best Mom (poem)
posted by Peggy Sweeney
by Keri Singleton Editor Note: This poem was written by a friend of Nneka Hall in memory of her daughter, Annaya, who was stillborn on August 27, 2010 at 37 weeks on Nneka’s 37th birthday. Tiny footprints, in the sand Fingernails on a tiny hand Small heartbeats with lots of love Wings spread wide, like a dove […]
Alzheimer Poem
posted by Peggy Sweeney
Do not ask me to remember Don’t try to make me understand Let me rest and know you’re with me Kiss my cheek and hold my hand. I’m confused beyond your concept I am sad and sick and lost All I know is that I need you To be with me at all cost. Do […]
The More Traditions We Let Slip Away, the Less Valuable We Become
posted by Peggy Sweeney
by Dennis Hamilton Memorial Park Funeral Home Editor’s Note: I am very happy to call Dennis a good friend. After I graduated from mortuary school in 1989, Jimmy Dilday, my boss at the small, rural funeral home in Tennessee, sent me to Memphis several times to get a taste of working for a huge, metropolitan funeral […]
Where Do We Go to Scream or… What They Didn’t Tell Us in Mortuary School
posted by Peggy Sweeney
by Debra Kranz Kranz Funeral Home Editor’s Note: I read Debra’s article one day at work in Tennessee. I had been a mortician for just a little over two years. Her words mirrored my thoughts and feelings about the profession. I am very grateful that I tucked her article away so that I could share […]
Dear Friend
posted by Peggy Sweeney
Sometimes it is very difficult for us to put into words how we are feeling without hurting someone’s feelings. I found this “letter” online and wanted to share it with you. The anonymous author penned a gentle way for you to help friends understand the depth of your grief and how they can help you […]
Déjà Vu
posted by Peggy Sweeney
by Tom Wyatt Father of Johnny Why? I thought I’d stopped asking that one, it’s been a year; Why did he die? why isn’t it better? why can’t I stop the tears? It’s worse today than the day that he died; The shock is gone, there’s no place for me to hide. I’m reliving his […]
Will You Overcome Grief?
posted by Peggy Sweeney
by Jack Cain Ten steps that form the basis for finding a path out of grief #9 Do Unto Others Reach out and help someone else who’s in need. Giving of yourself, helping others who are somehow in pain, getting beyond the “me” orientation will help you enormously. #8 Crowd Out Negatives You are devloping a […]
Share Your Story
posted by Peggy Sweeney
by Peggy Sweeney I believe that one of the many benefits of walking through grief is being able to share what you have learned with others who are newly bereaved or struggling with unpleasant events in their life. If you would like to share your story, let me know. You do NOT have to be […]
Traditions and Rituals are Comforting ~ Create Your Own
posted by Peggy Sweeney
by Debra Kranz Kranz Funeral Home In this ever-changing world, it is nice to see that tradition and respect of old-time values are still around and that they can be a comfort to people. I was reminded of this recently as our funeral procession passed the police officer who was stopping traffic for us. He […]
The Invitation
posted by Peggy Sweeney
by Oriah It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love for your […]
Ten Hard Truths About Grief
posted by Peggy Sweeney
#1 Some things are beyond our control: We would all prefer to live with the illusion that we are in control of our own lives, but a sudden change in the weather, an un-welcome diagnosis or a random act of violence reminds us that no one is the master of their fate.
If Tomorrow Never Comes
posted by Peggy Sweeney
If I knew it would be the last time that I’d see you fall asleep, I would tuck you in more tightly and pray the Lord, your soul to keep. If I knew it would be the last time that I would see you walk out the door, I would give you a hug and […]
How Long Will It Take?
posted by Peggy Sweeney
How long will it take me to get over the feeling of sorrow? A lifetime. How long will I continue to feel guilty? As long as it takes you to realize you did nothing wrong. How long will it take me to get over my anger? As long as it will take you to stop […]
