Grief is the way we love people when they die.
When grief hits, we hurt. Although we may not have a choice about who we’re grieving or why, we do have a choice about how to grieve and to mourn well.
Grief is an internalized, involuntary pain. Mourning involves externalizing the pain of our losses in purposeful ways. The active work of grieving is called mourning.
If you’re bereaved or if you know someone who is bereaved, Good Words for Grieving may help.
About
Beth Hewett
Dr. Beth Hewett understands the pain and anguish of grief all too well: Over the years, Beth has lost her brother, sister, both parents, and in-laws.
An experienced grief coach, support group facilitator, and facilitator trainer, she is a Certified Thanatologist with ADEC and has worked with the MISS Foundation, the Bereaved Parents of the USA, and the grief ministry of her parish, St. Ignatius, Hickory in Maryland.
Her specialty is mindful mourning with Bead Blessings, writing, and other purposeful activities.
"The spark that ignited my passion for working with the bereaved was seeing that hope exists after loss. Although grief is forever (because love is forever), we can live fully and happily with (not despite) grief.
Grief can be both crushing and life-enhancing. We can choose to keep on living in the fullness of life that loss brings to us. I think that we become more complete human beings with a softened heart and greater compassion for others when grief is well mourned, as opposed to the hardening of heart and brittleness of life when grief is ignored, avoided, or feared."
Help for grief’s pain can come from family, friends, support systems, and books. Grief coaching and support groups help us to process the death and its impact on us. Beth has years of experience facilitating this work.
Beth listens. She understands. She has a calming influence that allows you time to think, to pause in your busy day, and to acknowledge the very real pain that grief can cause. You never have to do the hard work of grieving alone. Beth can help you.
It’s easy to feel forlorn and helpless when grief hits. With mindful mourning and help from others, we can turn those feelings to hope.
As a writer and educator, Beth has created and curated a wide body of resources to assist those encountering loss.
Her books and articles offer specific support for remembering loved ones and engaging with grief, while Bead Blessings© and kintsugi offer tactile approaches to the act of mourning.
