Contributions by Darcie Sims

There ought to be a law! There ought to be a law against snow and ice and winter.

Each time we reach out across our own pain to find another hand searching in the darkness, we begin to lighten our own darkness.

Children are often shuttled off or ignored by adults who may be grieving themselves and do not have the energy, resources, or understanding necessary to help them

Darcie SimsTAPS' own Darcie Sims has a new weekly podcast entitled Good Mourning: The Many Faces of Grief.

Have you ever had a moment? You know, a moment when time stood still and everything was as it should be—right and good and whole and wonderful.

The holidays are coming and I’m not ready. Everything seems to sparkle and there is always so much to do!

Come with me and know that we are all a family circle, broken by death, but mended by love.

I first began to think about going crazy shortly after our son died. It seemed innocent enough in the beginning.

Riding an exercise bike is a lot like grieving. We seem to be pedaling fast and sometimes, it seems as if we are going nowhere.

Though winter seems to have more than its share of less than wondrous days, occasionally we have an especially down day.

Look skyward tonight and find your special star. And instead of embracing the emptiness, cherish the space that love always fills.

Maybe it has become normal to feel that bittersweetness brush past my heart occasionally. Maybe we are learning to redefine normal.

Perhaps that is the secret to melting winter into spring. The challenge is to always carve out something beautiful from the icicle.

Grief isn’t a seasonal song. It’s a lifetime song, but it doesn’t have to be a sad song forever.

There are no timetables for grief and no one right way to grieve. There are as many ways to grieve as there are people grieving.

There’s an empty chair in our house and I am not sure what to do with it. It’s been empty a long time.

A new season...a new way of looking at things and of remembering the joy we shared. I don’t want to miss that anymore, so I’ll just start remembering you as you lived.

Make the commitment to grow quiet within and listen to the music of yourself. Take one small footstep each day.

Even though death comes, love never goes away. Grow quiet. Sit a spell and reconnect to the magic, the wonder, and the joy that dwells within.

Every time you see a snowflake or just imagine one, remember to cherish its unique design and pattern…and to cherish your unique footprint through grief.

Humor helps bring balance back into our lives, at a time when we may not believe there will ever be another joyful moment to be found.