The holiday season brings comfort in tradition and ritual.  At the heart of many celebrations, including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and others, are patterns that have comforted us throughout our lives.  The rituals, the food, the family gatherings. When someone has lost somebody special in their lives, whether a spouse, family member, or friend—even a pet—everyone… Read more »

Emotions of sadness and grief inevitably intensify over the holidays when you’re missing a recently departed loved one.  That person who used to share traditions, keep in touch, and was always there is now missing.  That person who perhaps made the warmth and joy of the season come alive has gone somewhere, but you’re not… Read more »

I’ve always aimed to keep things upbeat in my writing, with the added goal of offering helpful information.  I guess I always wished I’d had a mentor myself. So I fulfilled it with writing—in the hopes I could help someone out there with their life struggles. My mom died at the end of August and… Read more »

Dear Barb: A very dear family member recently died and his death was a traumatic event for the entire family.  The day following, a close friend of mine dropped by.  As soon as she came in I told her about the death; she said she had heard about it, and then continued talking about herself… Read more »

Dear Barb: Hi, I recently put my dog down and now I’m wondering if I did the right thing. Tasha was a ten-year-old miniature schnauzer with lots of health issues. For the last two years she was on several expensive medications and they really weren’t making a difference in the quality of her life. When… Read more »