Welcome to A Butterfly's Journey BLOG
Joy and Grief are Intertwined
Joy Intertwined with Grief? How? Think about it - it's true. We incur loss and get engulfed in our grief. But over time, as the grief becomes less dominant, we can feel joy again. From then on, we don't completely put aside the grief - it lives side-by-side with...
Tips & Tweaks For Grief During The Holidays
The HOLIDAYS! REALLY???... The holidays start EARLY this year with less time after Thanksgiving to get yourself in the mood to deal with them! It is perfectly normal not to want to celebrate holidays after the loss of a loved one. The holidays are not the same - they...
Can You Grieve AND Be Thankful? …Try this!
Sure you can - why not? It is Thanksgiving and the holiday season is upon us. Loss is difficult but it's not everything, don't let it overshadow all of the good in your life! I'm not suggesting you turn off your grief. You can't. Most often, it's more prominent during...
Celebrating Others & The Holidays — After Loss
Is it a Herculean effort to be grateful during the holidays? Do you find it nearly impossible to celebrate anything? Are you finding it difficult to cherish the people who remain in your life after losing someone very special to you? After traumatic loss, it is...
Finding Gratitude After Traumatic Loss
Why should you be grateful after suffering the traumatic loss of a loved one? What is there to be grateful for? You feel awful! It’s difficult to find anything to be grateful for after losing someone close, certainly after the loss of a child, grandchild, sibling,...
What About the Spiritual Side of Halloween?
...is not just about candy & costumes! . Halloween is a very spiritual holiday and through history has been one of great significance. Even today, it is the second largest commercial holiday after Christmas. Halloween began approximately 2,000 years...
Take NOTHING for Granted
Do you sail through life taking things for granted? Are you mostly oblivious to all of the gifts around you? Do you remember to be grateful for EVERYTHING? We are all guilty of taking things in our lives for granted... until they are GONE. So sad... that we rush...
Trusting In Our Perpetual Spirit
Do our spirits really continue? How do we trust that? Can we surrender to that belief? When my 21-year-old son Brent died suddenly in a motorcycle accident, it sent me on a multi-year journey to figure out if he was okay and if his spirit really did continue. At...
Are You Giving Yourself Enough Credit?
Have you thought about your accomplishments? Are you giving yourself enough credit for them? These questions could apply to your life or your grief recovery. STOP once in a while and think back about how you'd done in the face of adversity or challenge. I bet...
Are You Being Authentic In Your Grief?
Are You Being Authentic? How does the word “authentic” relate to grief? The same as it does in any relationship, including the one you have with yourself. Are you being honest about how you feel after the loss of a loved one? Are you taking good enough care of...
The Power Of A SMILE :-)
Do you find yourself forgetting to smile? Do you feel mood swings as the seasons change? Are you so buried in grief that you don't want to smile? Watch this little boy, who lost both his parents, put smiles on others' faces... ... and how it helps him feel...
Why Choose To Heal?
You don't have to... You CAN choose to stay in acute grief... But is that what your children would want? Is that what your loved ones would want? Is that what YOU really want? I'm guessing -- probably NOT. At least try to be OPEN to choosing to heal, to try things......
Can Photography Help with Grief? …YES!
HOW? I love photography and take tons of digital photos in almost any situation, but I've found so many ways that photographs help heal my grief and the grief of others. The positive feelings and memories they can evoke is very healing, and even the sad ones can be...
Story of a Father’s Grief Creating Help
We celebrated Father's Day this month. It is lovely for most Dads, a day of tribute. But for some, it is very difficult. Some of their children are no longer here with them to celebrate. One of the most difficult things in the world is for a father, whose role it...
Grief Recovery Method
Our Grief Support Groups provide a safe environment for you to look at your old beliefs about dealing with loss, which losses have affected your life, and take actions that will lead you to complete unresolved emotions that may still be causing you pain. It’s an...
Will I Ever Find A New Normal?
Supporting your journey... More information on my web site & contact me at 617-410-6309 or barbara@abutterflysjourney.com for a conversation on how you an find your ‘new normal’. PS Please consider forwarding this info to someone who suffered a...
It’s My Son’s Birthday – He’d Be 34 Today
My oldest son Brent died in a motorcycle accident in 2002. Today is his 34th birthday snd Sunday is Mother's Day. I'd like to tell you a little about him and why I still feel so connected to him. When Brent was born in 1981, at 2 months old, you could already see...
Book: “FAITH – Finding Answers In The Heart – Volume II” LAUNCHES on Amazon!
On April 23rd, we launch a new inspirational book on Amazon: “FAITH – Finding Answers In The Heart – Volume II”, a collaboration of 14 female authors. I am one of those authors. FAITH is published by Words of Passion. F.A.I.T.H. - Volume II Do you listen to your...
Spring Is Here! Time For Transition… at ABJ
Why do we feel the need to make transitions in the spring? Because that is nature's time for new beginnings... and A Butterfly's Journey is doing just that! We've been a little quiet over the winter -- not just because of the CRAZY amount of snow and cold in the...
Are You Keeping Vigilant For SIGNS?
Are you? Really? I hope so - you never know when you might catch a sign from your loved one! I had an unexpected experience just recently. My husband and I took a well-deserved break from the severe winter weather, where we live north of Boston, to visit my...
A Good Time 4 Reminder of Loving Self-Care
February - the month of Valentine's Day... of LOVE. But do we remember to love ourselves too? Often not... It's a good time to remind yourself to TAKE CARE OF YOU! Whether you are in the midst of a tough winter - as we are in the northeast this year... ...
New Year – New Beginnings
A new year signifies new beginnings… … what are your new beginnings in 2015? It might be about new resolutions to take better care of yourself or to heal yourself in some way… or it might be a new business or new way to reach out and help others. In my case, it’s...
Love Clears a Path to a ‘New Normal’
What is a 'New Normal'? How do I get there? Why do I want to? A 'New Normal' related to grief is finding a way to get back to a hopeful and happy life after a traumatic loss. You can't really get back to your 'old normal' because your loved one was too big a part of...
TOM TAM – Tong Ren Healing Classes
Tong Ren Healing: Beyond Acupuncture Tong Ren is a distant-healing technique developed by Tom Tam. Tom’s practical experience and clinical observations, combined with Carl Jung’s collective unconscious theory and the Chi Gong healing...