Pope John Paul II

WHAT I LEARNED FROM POPE JOHN PAUL II
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am not a Catholic, but I felt a deep loss when Pope John Paul II took ill and then died. That's what happens to us with public people--we connect with them even if we didn't know them. Remember when JFK was shot? When Princess Di was killed? We invite these men and women into our hearts, we live through them, and when they die, we are affected. We embrace them, and they become part of our family. All you afternoon soap fans will know exactly what I am talking about!

I learned important life-lessons from Pope John Paul II, and I would like to share some of them with you. He was consistent in his message, never wavering and always being crystal clear about what the Church stood for. Perhaps that explains whay he was always surrounded by so many adoring young people. It was unusual, don't you think, for an 80-year-old man to be cheered and adored by teen-agers and Gen-Xers. But perhaps not so surprising--they knew "where he was coming from," and agree or disagree, the messenger could always be trusted. What an important messgage for us parents!

He was serene in his illness. He was never afraid, even when we all were. He knew he was dying, but it never "defined" him. He saw himself as a Pope who was ill, not a walking illness who happened to be the Pope! He did everyhing he could to retain the spark of holiness with which God created him, and at the end, we knew that the Universe had lost a Master of Holiness. Jewish Tradition might even call him a Tzaddik, a living breathing exemplar of a higher level spirit, an reminder of what you and I might become in our own lives

---

Dads, Life, and Death

When he looked at me, it was clear my father... Read More

Handicapped From Suicide

I am 23 years old. I come from a large... Read More

Afraid Of Dying? Afraid Of Living!

Over the years, I've heard many people voice their concerns... Read More

Whens Sarah Coming Home? Helping Your Child Understand Death

For most children, their first experience with grief comes with... Read More

Dying at Home ? A Precious Gift

Few of us care to think about the inevitability of... Read More

Pet Loss: Significant and Profound Loss or Much Ado about Nothing?

For those who have deeply loved and lost their animal... Read More

How to Deal with Suffering

Reflect upon the following questions, and answer those you feel... Read More

Moving Beyond Grief and Loss

In my work as a coach and therapist, I have... Read More

When The Spirit Leaves The Body

Do you spend most of your time inside or outside... Read More

Made in Heaven

Consumed by my loss, I didn't notice the hardness of... Read More

Silent Tears - from a Norwegian Hospital

Silent tears hit hospital-white sheets. The young Pakistani mother holds... Read More

Coping With A Funeral

When the death of a loved one occurs, regardless or... Read More

Why Dont We Talk About Anticipatory Grief?

I know anticipatory grief - a feeling of loss before... Read More

One Womans Way of Dealing With Grief

All of us at one time or another have felt... Read More

What is an Appropriate Sympathy Gift?

When a friend or loved one is grieving, it is... Read More

Adapting to the Loss of a Loved One: Three Tips on how to Cope

Have you ever sat down and played a piano where... Read More

The Creative Side of Healing

One of the areas where I seem to be placing... Read More

How To Heal Your Heart

We all experience severe heart break at some time in... Read More

Loss Involves Change - The Transformative Power of Loss and Change

There are many experiences in life, which remind us that... Read More

Guilty, Your Honor: The Burden of Guilt After a Suicide

Guilty, Your Honor, I whisper.Have you ever done anything so... Read More

Trial by Fire - 9 Tips for Grieving Couples

You will often hear that grief and loss bring couples... Read More

Good Grief!

If tears are an indication of how special my relationship... Read More

Death of a Parent: Saying Good-Bye to Mommy or Daddy

Coping with the death of a loved one is never... Read More

How to Deal With A Death in the Family and Still Run Your Small Business

As a small business owner we have to deal with... Read More

In the Blink of an Eye

Today's Quote: "My house is burned down, but I can... Read More

The Look of Grief

Never, since man has walked upright, have people all over... Read More

New Tears [about Grievng--with commentary]

New Tears [about Grieving]If it rains or shinesLittle does it... Read More

Mexico: Death in Mexico

Death: No thank you. Dying: Gives me a panic attack.... Read More

Death, Close and Personal

I got an email recently from someone whose mother died.... Read More

The Truth About Emotional Intelligence

There is so much emphasis on emotional intelligence these days... Read More

Dealing With Grief and Loss - How to Mend a Broken Heart

What is it about Grief & Loss that upsets us... Read More

How Long Does It Take to Mend a Broken Heart?

Julian Austin, Canadian country singer, released a song called Should... Read More

Grief Support: The Don?ts

1) Don't try to make the grieving person feel better.... Read More