The Griever's Guide to Surviving the Holidays ~ 25 Tips     By: Grief Specialist~ Erica Honore and Sharon Brubaker           Erica and Sharon are sisters who have studied out the science of grief for over 13 years.  As Grief...

      Tonight as  I search the web for words of wisdom to send all the kids of Santa Clarita Valley that went back to school today; our Saugus friends.    I need to tell them that it will be ok.  Encourage them to “ be strong”. Keep going.  But the...

  We love this time of year. This holiday has a very special meaning to Erica and I. Our father loved this start to the holiday season. In the weeks before Thanksgiving, our father, an amazing cook, would start to plan the menu with each one of his children. He...

Preparing for a holiday event without them…. The first thing we had to do was acknowledge that the holidays were coming. And they were coming fast! Austin died on the Father’s Day Weekend.. We truly ignored each other for Halloween. As much as I hate to admit it, I...

Today, as I sit here and watch the news coverage of the 2 killed, by a young boy, in my own hometown of Santa Clarita, my heart is breaking. The coverage is centered around how we as fellow neighbor’s, family and friends will be affected by such a tragedy. The...

Talking to Children about Loss and Grief Cheat-Sheet DO - Go first. As the adult, you are the leader.     DO - Tell the truth about how you feel. Telling the truth about your own grief and about how you feel will establish a tone of trust and make your child feel safe...

What Does Recovery Look Like? - Erica Recovery from grief looks different to different people. For some, recovery means not crying every day or not having to take medication to get through the day. For me, recovery means truly enjoying my life with the people I spend...

Living In the “New Normal” - Sharon I want you to consider that it’s important to remember that the pain you feel regarding a loss does not have to be the “New Normal” in your life. While working with grievers, I often hear them tell me how I must live in my “New...

Taking Care of Yourself While Helping Others - Erica If you’re in an industry that deals with helping people—grief worker, social worker, nurse, police officer, or mental health professional—nine times out of ten, you are prepared and willing to put everyone else’s...

Sharon and Erica; Thank you so much for talking to me on the phone today.  I wanted to send you both a quick email and ask you a question.  My mother passed away three months ago, and I am just now finished taking care of all her business.  Selling her house and car...

Pet Loss The bond between a pet and owner is often stronger than one between people.  Pets love us unconditionally and without judgement.  They show true love and affection, and all they ask for is that love to be reciprocated.  No matter how many times you have to...

Is It Alright to Date? After the breakup of a romantic relationship or a divorce there comes a time when you feel as though you’re ready to get involved in another relationship.  However, the timing needs to be right because if you get involved too soon you run the...

Bullying and Grief   When you become a parent there are so many things that are outside of your control.  This can result in feelings of helplessness especially when you find out that your child is the victim of bullying.  Or the reverse happens, and you find out...

Processing the Pain from Grief Most of us have never truly been taught how to talk about grief, which makes it so much more challenging when we experience a grief event in our lives.  Sharon and I have noticed that there are three options that a griever has when they...

I Remember but Everyone Wants to Forget When you experience a grieving event, it is not uncommon to want to dissect every aspect of what happened, how it made you feel and possibly assigning blame.  Typically, you have a supporting cast of characters in your life with...

Becoming a Detective When Donovan passed away, we as a family got so caught up in every detail leading up to him getting on that motorcycle and all the way to when he was found after the accident.  He was the only one at the scene of his accident and he was no longer...

Regret rɪˈɡrɛt Dictionary result for regret 1. feel sad, repentant, or disappointed over (something that has happened or been done, especially a loss or missed opportunity). This is a definition I found online for “regret.”  I believe I have something to add to this...

Social Media: The Best Thing Ever Invented - Sharon The best thing ever invented: the internet. How has it changed all our lives? I am a grandmother of three amazing grandchildren. My two youngest grandchildren live out of state. How awesome it is to open Facebook and...

  The New Normal - Erica When I first experienced losses, I overheard my husband, Louis, say to people, “We’re just going to have to get used to our new normal.” It was then that I began to use that as my go-to response when people asked me how I was doing. I...

I realized something about myself today. I am a witness to heart breaks every day. I am a witness to those moments in people’s lives they think they cannot bear to live with any longer. I am a witness to the deep dark secrets they truly believe they cannot say out...