Category: grief

How Writing Can Improve Mental Health

Ernest Hemingway famously said that writers should “write hard and clear about what hurts.” Although Hemingway may not have known it at the time, research has now shown that writing about “what hurts” can help improve our mental health. There are more than 200 studies that show the positive effect of writing on mental health. But…


How William-Adolphe Bouguereau Dealt With Grief

As human beings, we try our best to deal with the pain of death. Today, we will look at how one of the greatest artists of the 19th century, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, dealt with death through his paintings. Bouguereau’s Artistic Development Bouguereau was born in 1825 in La Rochelle, France, and at a young age entered…


‘Prescription for Hope’: A Navy SEAL Widow Learns How to Grieve and Live Again

When our country’s service members are killed in action, they aren’t alone in making the ultimate sacrifice. Their families also bear the burden. Char Fontan Westfall continues to carry the loss of her late husband Navy SEAL Jacques Fontan, but she’s learned how to grieve and how to live again. Westfall met Fontan when he…


The Subtle Dangers of Alcohol and Grieving

My history with alcohol has been fairly tame. In my teen years, I partied with friends, but eventually my drinking tapered off as I got older and focused more on physical and spiritual health. Over the years, my attitude toward drinking ranged from indifference to suspicion as I noticed how others used or misused alcohol….