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We Invite You to Find a Story that Speaks to Your Heart
Through the weeks ahead, our contributors will be adding their stories to help everyone find an experience or story that resonates with their own. Please share this site with those you know who may be looking for support as they travel through their own Journey to Grateful.
Let us know your thoughts on our stories. Connect with us via email at tim@journeytograteful.com, via our social community, or call our voicemail at 262-298-2428
Mother’s Heart
Mother's Heart Oh life within me You expand my body and my spirit I feel your kicks Your movements ripple waves across me physically and emotionally I feel you and I already love you Oh babe at
Carrying on a Legacy, An Albatross or a Fire?
He taught me, through example… he passed a legacy to me I am aware of the self-doubt talking at those times and push through that by hearing his voice in my ear, "Tacey, the world needs this
The Holiday Blues: Dealing with Grief This Season
The holiday season is a tough time of year for many people, but it can be particularly difficult for those who are grieving. Grief is an individual experience that's different for everyone. Grieving the death of someone
Being Told How to Grieve
When Somebody Else Tries to Tell You How You Should Grieve when somebody else tries to tell you how you should grieve smile and forgive them through your watering eyes and then imagine how lonely it must
Don’t Let Beauty Become the Background
Years ago, I had a very sad conversation with an elderly lady. We didn’t talk about loss or tragedy, instead, we talked about beauty. The woman’s sister lived in one of the most scenic parts of the
Thank You Note
This is what I want to say to people who are just at a loss for words when someone loses a loved one. “Share in this discomfort with me and show me that I am not alone. This
Stages of Grief Through a Sister’s Experience
"Suicide comes with its own unique kind of bargaining… It is not so much present day bargaining, but retroactive analysis. The “What could I have done better” and “Did I do something wrong?” often comes with this stage.
Invitation to Live Again
There is a song I listen to occasionally that has a line I have copied and written on a sticky note to keep near my desk. As the note is within my line of sight while I am
Pushing through Milestones
An Insight on How We Chose to Approach the Big One-Year Anniversary of Our Loss As we know, everyone's experience with grief – and thus their experience with milestones regarding that grief – can be very different,
Sit with Me and Have a Slice of Pie, Daddy!
My father was such a massive influence on my life. I mean, he changed my life before I even fell in love with him. He found me in a Children's Aid home as a toddler, abandoned, physically challenged,
A Mother’s Uncommon Grief
“Making the decision to have a child – it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” – Anonymous I grieved the day our first son was born. My
Did I Dream this Belief?
“Did I dream this belief? Or did I believe this dream? Now I will find relief….I grieve!” — Peter Gabriel Sometimes things that get broken can be mended. A plate that has cracked in two pieces can
The Air Is Different
Soon after my husband died I remember that I kept saying, “The air is different.” In the fog of my grieving I wasn’t sure what I was sensing and why I needed to keep saying that statement until
No One is Alone in This Grief Journey
Today, on the 24th anniversary of my late husband’s death by suicide, I again remove the photo albums from the bookshelf to remember his life. Seeing pictures of a strong 39-year-old man, beaming with pride holding his two
Grateful for Texts and Phone Calls
I cannot seem to fill enough of my day to take away the ache and pain. Every phone call or text from a friend is like a life preserver. Every email is a link to some sort of
Threads of Life
His Laugh was Absolutely Infectious Shortly after my husband died, someone asked me if it was difficult to part with his possessions. My first thought and response at the time was that most of what he truly
Hating Death
I hate life… wait no, I hate death. I love life and all the people in my life I love. But it’s death that makes life so sad and so hard. I hate it when someone I
Moving Through vs Moving On
Many family and friends, once past the initial acceptance of your loss, will find the need to comfort you in many different ways. Some will try to show you how this loss can be viewed as a positive
Walking Through a Family Loss with Children
You've lost a close family member, perhaps your spouse, and you're trying desperately to navigate this uncharted path, but you have children who are grieving as well. If this is beyond difficult for you, imagine the insurmountable feeling
Embracing Breakdown Moments
I'm not referring to feeling down, or a few tears. No, I'm speaking of uncontrollable sobbing and letting the tears flow. Some would say it's therapeutic. I suppose it is, in many ways. It's a cleansing and a
