Ryan's Place Blog

This weekend I was fortunate enough to attend my uncle’s funeral with other family members.  I recognize that not everyone at this time in history is able to attend their loved one’s funeral, let alone with other family members present.  During our...

This Sunday, June 21st is Father’s Day, while many families will be celebrating Dad with backyard cookouts, gifts, golf, or fishing trips, others will not be celebrating. In 2019 Ryan’s Place provided grief support to over 800 children, of those 800 plus children, 11%...

Unsettling dreams and nightmares are common after the death of a loved one. It is also "normal" to have heightened fears during waking hours.  When someone we love dies we may fear that someone else close to us will die next. Adults can often verbalize...

Mindfulness: the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something; a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic...

For me, journaling has always been a cathartic way to put my thoughts and feelings into words.  Writing over the years has helped me to process my grief, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness.  Words are powerful. Putting them onto paper, or onto a computer screen,...

Birthdays after a loved one has died can be very difficult. Birthdays are another painful reminder of the things that are missing after someone dies, as well as a reminder of the years they didn’t get to live. Some people find comfort in continuing to celebrate their...

One of my favorite things to talk about in grief groups is the science behind tears. Our culture tells us certain messages about what grieving should look like, what is okay and acceptable. Phrases like “real men don’t cry”, "you’re being overemotional”, and that we...

One book we often read at Ryan’s Place is “The Invisible String” by Patrice Karst.  This book is great for children and adults of all ages.  It reminds us that we are connected to one another, in this case by an invisible string, even though we are apart.  When...

When grieving, and in times of stress and difficulty, it is easy to get caught up in unpleasant emotions like sadness, anger, frustration, distress. When this happens, it can be hard to get oneself out of those unpleasant emotions and back into a space that feels more...