Neptune Society of Northern California

After losing a child, Nancy Bern found herself being seduced by the idea of closure in her grief. Sometimes it’s so overwhelming to be in our grief, the idea of closing this chapter sounds appealing. But is that really the way to heal grief? Through her experiences helping others, she began to understand that the best way through grief is to not wish it away. Check out this inspiring and compassionate take on the grief journey.

People are experiencing grief as never before not only in the loss of loved ones, but the loss of everyday things we often took for granted. Take care of yourself and those you love during this difficult time, and know that, even though it may seem impossible now, we will experience all of the simple joys again. We'll meet again.

After a year of isolation from loved ones, many of us are ready to snuggle family and friends again. As more Americans receive a vaccine, many are asking if it's safe to embrace. Here's what the experts have to say.

The Bernard family couldn't have anticipated what was to come, just 3 years later, when they created drive-through funerals in 2017 at their R. Bernard Funeral Services in Memphis. Now their family-owned funeral home is the subject of a new Netflix reality show, Buried by the Bernards, documenting the business and the family behind it. https://www.wvlt.tv//family-owners-of-drive-thru-tennesse/

Kessler knew he would experience the stages of grief outlined by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance and he knew these would not necessarily be linear, that there was no right time frame. But what he hadn’t realized was that there was a sixth stage. I discovered there was something else, something beyond acceptance. It was finding meaning: the possibility of being able to discover something meaningful in my grief. https://www.theguardian.com//finding-meaning-in-the-life-o

While you may be excited to share the news that you've received a COVID-19 vaccination, experts are urging people not to share photos of their vaccine cards on social media. Here's why.

I felt like my heart had been so thoroughly and irreparably broken that there could be no real joy again. Everyone wanted me to rejoin life, pick up the pieces and move on, and I tried to, I wanted to, but I just had to lie in the mud with my arms wrapped around myself, eyes closed, grieving, until I didn’t have to anymore. Anne Lamott

"I no longer see death as a failure but as a place we are all headed at some point," says End Well founder Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider. "If I can help someone live the fullest to the very end, I have practiced the best medicine." http://ow.ly/HSZG50C8tFD

"I learned from my mother that the ability to experience joy during difficult times requires a degree of intentionality. You don’t just wake up feeling full of joy when it feels like the world is falling apart (or at least I know I don’t). You have to make a plan to celebrate and enjoy the things that you love. The things that will sustain you. As I’ve worked to manage my grief over the years, here is how I’ve learned to cultivate joy."

How's everyone doing today? #breathe #wereinthistogether

Join our charity partner March of Dimes for this event, in which we can both do good and have fun: Emeril will teach us how to cook one of his special recipes, Meril's Pasta Nero, named in honor of his daughter and featuring his mother's favorite food!

"Nearly two years isn’t enough time to say: 'You get through it.' Trauma’s impact is profound; post-traumatic stress ... Things can be OK; then not OK. I’m sharing in the hope others will open up. I’m inviting everyone to reach out to people in pain, to the grieving, and make the first moves. Because know this. As hard as it is to reach out to someone who is suffering, it is much harder for that suffering person to reach out to you."

November is a special month for the Alzheimer's Association: It's both #NationalFamilyCaregiversMonth and #NationalAlzheimersDiseaseAwarenessMonth. We are celebrating the strength and dedication of dementia caregivers, especially during these uncertain times. Share a tribute in honor of a special caregiver in your life at the Alzheimer’s Association website: alz.org/honor. #ENDALZ

"The act of setting up an ofrenda a table filled with pictures and objects that tell our deceased ancestors’ stories was incredible on its own, but it became a catalyst for something even greater. During the event, complete strangers began to approach us, asking that we share the stories of the people displayed on our table. Every inch of me was filled with gratitude, mourning, joy, compassion, as we equally shared and received with so many strangers. That experience transformed my attitude on grief from something to hide to something I could proudly share." #diadelosmuertos

The coming winter could be especially difficult as infectious disease experts recommend that we "hunker down" to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Proper preparation can help ease this transition and help you feel mentally ready. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org//covid-19-during-wi

On Friday, Oct. 30 at 1 p.m., you can join the New York Adventure Club and historian Don Rice on a virtual journey through historic burial grounds of northern Manhattan.

The main character of this is grief, in all of its colorfulness, awkwardness, humor, embarrassment, rage and loneliness. People from around the world reflect on those they’ve lost.

Good morning! A reminder of how grateful we are for you.

Yes. Let's keep going forward, together.

Wise words from What's Your Grief.