TOGETHER IN SPIRIT: KEEPING OUR RELATIONSHIPS ALIVE WHEN LOVED ONES DIE

Abstract

The premise of this article is that it can be adaptive to maintain bonds with loved ones who have died. The article describes 5 useful strategies for connecting with the deceased, which include recognizing the ways in which the deceased leave an imprint upon our lives, deriving a sense of meaning from the deceased's life, using objects that symbolically link us to persons who have died, identifying ceremonial opportunities for including the deceased in our lives, and reviewing the deceased's life story. Following discussion of these strategies, implications for counseling and outreach are briefly addressed. Finally, discussion focuses on how acknowledging our bonds with the deceased has the potential to aid us in confronting our own mortality.