1 day ago by Sandy Nyenhuis

Below is a column I wrote in April, 2009. What struck me as I looked back over it today is that my husband and I could probably say we are having a similar day, only ten months later. One difference is that instead of crawling back into bed, I purposely chose to do something for someone else. Someti ...

Journey Of Grief ~ Journey ... - journeyofgrief.wordpress.com

5 days ago by Sandy Nyenhuis

Two nights ago I saw my son–twice! I saw him afresh again yesterday! But how is that possible considering he died on September 24, 2006 in a car accident? The sightings two nights ago happened in dreams. But they weren’t just ordinary dreams. They were vivid, and I had a clear knowledge of Jacob’s d ...

Journey Of Grief ~ Journey ... - journeyofgrief.wordpress.com

5 days ago by Sandy Nyenhuis

On September 30, 2006 we said goodbye to Jacob at a private family service at Christ Church Cemetery on Saint Simons Island, Georiga. Later, we held a public memorial service where over 700 people were in attendance. In this video, Michael (Jacob and Raleigh’s dad and my husband) say goodbye to Jaco ...

Journey Of Grief ~ Journey ... - journeyofgrief.wordpress.com

7 days ago by Sandy Nyenhuis

Another journal entry: My heart is racing! The phone just rang and the person on the other end said, “Hi, may I please speak to Jacob?” I could hardly respond. It was an army recruiter who had gotten Jacob’s name from a list of seniors who graduated from his high school. I calmly asked the gentleman ...

Journey Of Grief ~ Journey ... - journeyofgrief.wordpress.com

8 days ago by Sandy Nyenhuis

This is a letter I wrote to Jacob 7 1/2 months after he died. It was part of a journal I kept. Jacob, I will never ever forget all the love I have for you, because I carry it in my heart at all times. The hard part is that my heart has been broken into a million pieces, and I’m trying desperately to ...

Journey Of Grief ~ Journey ... - journeyofgrief.wordpress.com

11 days ago by Sandy Nyenhuis

This post comes from a blog I wrote over a year ago: I spoke with my friend yesterday who had lost her nephew only hours earlier, she made a comment her brother (the father of the young man who died) had made to her earlier that day. She said, “I’m having a strong moment right now.” Those words refl ...

Journey Of Grief ~ Journey ... - journeyofgrief.wordpress.com

14 days ago by Sandy Nyenhuis

This writing first appeared in a column I wrote for a website. Since the website no longer exists, I am free to publish it again here on my personal blog. This was written June, 2009: On a recent morning, I received a message from my friend, Tanya, reminding me that exactly one month had passed sinc ...

Journey Of Grief ~ Journey ... - journeyofgrief.wordpress.com

20 days ago by Sandy Nyenhuis

After someone we love has died, grief overwhelms us. It’s almost like a living organism that wraps itself around us. This organism grips our stomachs and makes it nearly impossible to eat. It invades our hearts, sometimes causing them to beat irregularly. We ache from the intensity of the organism’s ...

Journey Of Grief ~ Journey ... - journeyofgrief.wordpress.com

22 days ago by Sandy Nyenhuis

Without your wounds where would your power be? …In Love’s service, only wounded soldiers can serve. – The angel in Thornton Wilder’s play “The Angel That Troubled the Waters” based on the 5th chapter of the book of John in the Bible. Life is hard. If you don’t think so, you probably haven’t lived lo ...

Journey Of Grief ~ Journey ... - journeyofgrief.wordpress.com

26 days ago by Sandy Nyenhuis

In the aftermath of my son Jacob’s death as a result of a car accident, people all around us performed extraordinary acts of kindness that reflected love. As a family, we were humbled over and over by the actions of people in our community and around the world. For the most part, these things were b ...

Journey Of Grief ~ Journey ... - journeyofgrief.wordpress.com