Dealing With My Grief

Thanksgivings to me wasn't really difficult to deal with after losing my father. Father's day was more traumatic. Father's Day is all  about dad and Thanksgiving is more about family. While I didn't have a father , I still had family. Thanksgiving, and holidays in general became more difficult when I was deployed to the Middle East and not able to be with family. This weeks call to action: find a we to make dealing with the loss of your loved one a little easier to deal with (if that's possible.) Be in the company of family or friends. If you need time by yourself, that's OK, too! Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Click here to listen via iHeart Radio Contact me using any of following: email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com   Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)

  Sometimes I think we try to protect children too much from mental any psychological pain. I think loosing at thing like sports may ultimately help with dealing with the loss of a loved one. This week's call to action: Try to incorporate your loved on into you holiday season. Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Click here to listen via iHeart Radio Contact me using any of following: email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com   Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)

This has been one of the nastiest Presidential campaign season on record. Voters like grievers have choices. This week's call to action: Choose to do something to confront your grief. Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Click here to listen via iHeart Radio Contact me using any of following: email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com   Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)

If you have ever used Microsoft Windows or almost any application within Windows, you'll find a few similarities: There are several ways to accomplish the same task Sometimes things go awry when we are trying to move forward and accomplish certain goals How can I determine which way is best for me to confront my grief and who do I pivot when I get stuck and can't seem to move forward. This weeks call to action: Evaluate the different methods you have at your disposal to help you deal with grief, especially when you seem to be stuck in a place that doesn't allow you to continue your healing process. Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Click here to listen via iHeart Radio Contact me using any of following: email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com   Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)

After lying in bed all weekend and watching Netflix, I have realized that I've used my father's death as the reason I haven't been able to achieve certain things in life or the reason why I've had to deal with certain things alone in my life. I refuse to use his death as an excuse any longer. I can get through life's challenges in spite of the fact he is no longer here. This weeks call to action: don't let grief be an excuse for you you can't seem to get through life's challenges. Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Click here to listen via iHeart Radio Contact me using any of following: email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com   Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)

This week's episode is a little shorter as I am dealing with a cold and I'm not feeling well. This week I look back a t two Disney films; Bambi and the Lion King and how I used just focus on death and not the the entire story of lifed death and the rebirth that the main characthers in the movie had to face. I also realizes that not every Disney film deals with these themes, and for non-grievers, that might be a Disney movie whose theme describes Your life story up to this point in your life. Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Click here to listen via iHeart Radio Contact me using any of following: email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com   Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)

This episode is inspired by a piece of feedback I received from a listener in response to last week's call to action to tell me something positive as a result of your grief. Thanks so much for the kind words about the podcast it appreciated... The listener stated that they have had a hard time getting support from their friends during the recent loss of 2 individuals in their life. This week I tackle the subject of why friends may "disappear" during the grieving process. Maybe they don't know how to support us or maybe they don't know how long we'll need support. This weeks call to action: Be a better friend... or simply be a friend. Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Click here to listen via iHeart Radio Contact me using any of following: email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com   Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)  

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Emmett Till. I recently had the opportunity to visit the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. It is an amazing museum that you must see if you ever visit the area. You'll need tickets to get in, but they are free. Here is the link to order timed passes: https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/passes Emmett Till was a 14 year old African-American boy who was killed for whistling at a white woman in a store in Money, Mississippi in August of 1955. He qwould be lynched fof this by her susband and his half-brother. Click here to learn more about Emmett Till View a PBS special about Emmett till's death His mother found the courage to display his badly disfigured body during his funeral to show the world what racism had done to her son. This act led to the modern Civil Rights movement. Mamie Till-Mobley's grief was the spark plug that forced America to deal with racism head-on. I take a look at my own life and try to figuer out if

When I thing about the phrase, "That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger", I can apply this to my life... literally! After seeing my father's lifeless body in the store owned by my parents after his death, and wondering if things might be different if my mother and I would have stayed at the store for an additional 30-45 minutes, I use this as a source of strength in my life. Nothing will every be as bad as it was when he died. My mother had to come up with a Plan B.   I have learned to face new challenges and Plans B and sometimes C head on using my grief. This weeks call to action: My father died without a will. This made life harder for my mother necessary. See a lawyer, and prepare a will. If you can afford to do so, purchase life insurance so the ones you leave behind won't have to initially worry about finances when you're gone. Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Click here to listen via iHeart Radio Contact me using any of fol

Once my father died I lived in fear believing the men responsible for his death eventually would come for me. I let this fear permeate other aspects of my life until I learned to confront it and find ways to embrace it and move on. This week's call to action: Link logically, sometimes emotions can cloud our judgement. Think things through before making decisions. Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Click here to listen via iHeart Radio Contact me using any of following: email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)  

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the television show Star Trek, I am reminded that sometimes thinking like a half Vulcan, half Human is not necessarily a bad thing. This week's call to action: Link logically, sometimes emotions can cloud our judgement. Think things through before making decisions. Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Click here to listen via iHeart Radio Contact me using any of following: email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)  

I wouldn't be who I am today without going through the pain that was losing my father. Starting this podcast only make me wish I had started capturing how I felt a lot earlier in life. This week's call to action: Start chronicling your grief journey. Start a diary, blog or even your own podcast. Make a point to rered it later and discover if and how different you may be know. Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Click here to listen via iHeart Radio Contact me using any of following: email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)  

I wasn't able to get to my Aunt Wanda's funeral... I simply spent too much money getting back and forth to St. Louis spending time with family before/after my uncle passed away, I'm just financially drained. The focus of this week's show in dealing with the death of celebrities, more specifically the lives of 3 individuals - (Click their name for information about them): Darwyn Cooke Prince Muhammad Ali In some way, big or small,  the lives of each of these individuals touched me in some way. Somehow they were able to resonate with something I was going through at some part of my life. This week's call to action: We all have some type of struggle. Find a way to help someone through theirs. We are all in this together. Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Click here to listen via iHeart Radio Contact me using any of following: email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief web - http:// www.dealingwit

After spending some time away and getting emotionally recharged, I received news that my aunt passed away. While her health had been back and forth for some time, I really didn't think that she would be gone so soon as she passed one day shy of her 74th birthday. This episode is dedicated to my Aunt Wanda. I love you dearly! This week's call to action: spend more time with the elderly. Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Click here to listen via iHeart Radio Contact me using any of following: email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)  

Sometimes making it through the day is difficult. There's only one thing that gets me through. Some days when I think about my father and most recently my uncle who passed away I think about and the many memories we shared and it's hard to imagine life without them. Sometimes I wonder how I'm going to make it through the day, who is going to be there to give me guidance concerning whatever issues might come my way. I'm then reminded of something my grandfather used to say to me... Any day you wake up and the sun is shining on your face is a good day! Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Click here to listen via iHeart Radio Contact me using any of following: email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com Music provided by Oren Levine (oren@ohljazz.com)

Recently I had the opportunity to watch the 'Peanuts Movioe' and reflect on the character of Charlie Brown - a guy who never seems to give up regardless of how many times things just don't work out.  He never seems to be able to muster up the courage to talk to the red haired girl. In the Peanuts Movie, he does in fact talk to her, but in his efforts to impress her, things just don't seem to work out - book report he writes for her. He is the captain of a baseball team that never wins a game. Yet he never misses a game himself. Every time he flies a kite, it ends up in a tree. Every time he tries to kick that football that Lucy is holding, she pulls it away from him at the last minute. Why doesn't he just quit? Two reasons... he has hope, and a friend named Linus! This week's call to action - Be someone's Linus. If you know someone who needs a word of encouragement or a helping hand, give it to them without them asking Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscr

There was no episode last week as I'm just returning from being with family after losing an uncle a couple of weeks ago. Rest In Peace, Uncle Luther. In remembering the live's of my father and my uncle, I sometimes realize that I shy away from things that we used to do together, because... well we can no longer do them together! I've changed my attitude, however. I will embrace the things we did together. My uncle like going to the race track, my father like taking long drives. I am going to attempt to do both of these things more ofteen. This week's call to action - Do something to honor your loved one's memory. Plant a tree, start a foundation, donate to a charity. go camping... but do something! Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Click here to listen via iHeart Radio Contact me using any of following: email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com Music pro

This episode is dedicated to my Uncle Luther who passed away on July 17, 2016. After learning my uncle had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, I had the opportunity to spend a few days with him a couple of weeks ago. We took a trip down memory lane and I'll share a few memories in this episode. Even though I knew the time would come, I wasn't mentally prepared deal with his death. It's only been 3 days, and I miss him already. His funereal will be the first time I've seen many family members in several years - too many years This week's call to action - find someone that you haven seen or spoken to in a while and catch up. Don't make your loved one's funeral your next family reunion. Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Click here to listen via iHeart Radio Contact me using any of following: email - darwyn@dealingwithmygrief.com twitter - http://www.twitter.com/dealwithgrief web - http:// www.dealingwithmygrief.com Music provided by Oren L

This episode is inspired by 3 events that have occurred in the since last week's show:  - The shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, LA  - The shooting of Philandro Castile in Falcon Heights, MN  - The subsequent shooting of 11 police officers in Dallas I was reluctant to talk about my story of grief because I didn't want to listen to others talk about theirs. I would compare the two and not give any credibility to your grief if your loved one didn't meet some violent end. Simply put, your narrative wasn't the same as mine, so it couldn't be real. I believer the same holds true for the events of the past week. There is a divide in the U.S. between people who believe police are doing their job and those who feel the police are racist or unfairly treating the very citizens they are supposed to protect. We need to listen to each other and UNDERSTAND what the other side is saying. Only then will we begin the healing process. Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to sub

If you suppress grief too much, it can well redouble.  - Molière The whole reason behind this podcast is the tell my story of how I deal with death, loss, grief and bereavement; specifically the loss of my father when I was still a young child. It is my way of letting go of the things that I had bottled up for so long. But why did I wait so long to get this burden of of my chest? 1.  I felt that I would be a burden to others who were also dealing with my fathers' loss. 2. Real men don't cry! 3. I was following the lead of others 4. I didn't want professional help 5. No one would listen to me. I encourage everyone to find someone to talk to about their grief. A priest, rabbi, or whoever the leader of your faith based community might be. A grief counselor or support group. Whatever you do, don't keep it bottled up. It only makes it worse over time. More on the life of Molière Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Contact me using any of fol