We never know from one moment to the next what could happen that could change our lives forever. We hear of tragedy every day. We sympathize with others and as awful as it sounds, quietly thank God it wasn't our loved ones. Maybe it's a form of subconscious denial but we tend to think that tragedy won't happen to us or those we love. But it can and when it does we suddenly become the 'someone else.'

Most people don't want to talk about death. Who can blame them? People just aren't

A child or young adult has died. Everyone who loved the child is now faced with mourning this tragic, untimely death. The child's parents are heartbroken. But what about the grandparents? How might they be feeling? How can you help them with their unique grief?

This article will guide you in ways to turn your concern for the grandparents into positive action.

Suicide Survivors Feel Guilty

Losing a loved one is undoubtedly one of the most difficult experienced people go through, but when a person commits suicide, there is an added element of guilt left behind. Suicides are nearly twice as common as homicides, says Indiana University professor of psychology John McIntosh. He's an expert in suicide prevention, and offers insight into people who kill themselves, suicide notes, social isolation, and feelings of grief.

Your mother or father has died. Whether you had a good, bad or indifferent relationship with the parent who died, your feelings for him or her were probably quite strong. At bottom, most of us love our parents deeply. And they love us with the most unconditional love that imperfect human beings can summons.

You are now faced with the difficult, but necessary, need to mourn the loss of this significant person in your life. Mourning is the open expression of your thoughts and feelings about the death. It is an essential part of healing.

As a hospice bereavement counselor who also specializes in pet loss, I've encountered many distraught animal lovers whose beloved dogs or cats have gone missing. These animals may have escaped from their home or yard, run off while traveling with their owners, been taken in by a stranger, or even outright stolen.

I have a special place in my heart for such pet parents, because I've been there, too - as I describe in this excerpt from my book.

You are concerned about discussing death with your Children; you're not alone. Many of us hesitate to talk about death, particularly with youngsters. But death is an inescapable fact of life. We must deal with it & so must our children; if we are to help them, we must let them know it is okay to talk about it.

By talking to our children about death, we may discover what they know and do not know - if they have misconceptions, fears, or worries. We can then help them by providing needed information, comfort, and understanding. Talk does not solve

The loss of a mate is different from the loss of a parent. And how grief does or doesn't get handled depends on the person who is bereaved. But one thing is certain - the death of a child is among the most agonizing of all grief events. Much has been written for the parents. But little is written about what to do or not do as a friend or family member when someone you know or love loses a child.

I have very dear friends who lost their toddler-aged son in a freak accident over 20 years ago. The father, spoke to me

S.I.D.S Death) Continued Week 2

The Impact Of Grief In Special Parenting Situations

The tragedy of a child's death brings profound pain to all affected, and it presents incredibly difficult and unusual problems for grieving parents. For some parents, the effects of such a complicated and devastating tragedy can be further compounded when the death occurs in what are already trying family situations. There are some parents for whom there is no established "circle of

The impact of a Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) death presents unique grieving factors and raises painful psychological issues for the parents and family as well as those who love, care for, and counsel them. SIDS parents must deal with a baby's death that is unexpected and unexplained, a death that cannot be predicted or prevented, an infant death so sudden that it leaves no time for preparation or goodbyes, and no period of anticipatory grief. In many cases, parents of SIDS babies are very young and are confronted with grief for the first time.

The death of a loved one is devastating. Unfortunately, there's no way to avoid mortality, and coping with the loss can be extremely difficult.

No two people grieve the same because grieving is a personal journey. How that journey is handled, how one copes with the loss of a beloved family member or friend, can't be clearly defined, but there are ways to learn how to cope.

The Rev. Dr. Arlene Churn, an ordained Baptist minister and certified grief