BY BEN WIDEMAN I still remember the phone call I got from my wife while I was at work. “Come home now… something’s not right, I can’t feel the baby moving.” Though we tried to convince ourselves that everything would be just fine on that hurried drive to the hospital, […]

Allowing Room to Journey Through Grief

BY CAROLYN M. TODD OCTOBER 31, 2019 01:06 PM, UPDATED OCTOBER 31, 2019 12:06 PM I lost my husband Terry five years ago after he battled lung cancer for six months. Early in our marriage, we were both working in business and doing well economically. One year we bought each […]

When ‘Watch Time’ Means More than Hands on a Clock

BY MONICA MONTAG SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 08:55 PM, UPDATED SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 08:55 PM My life changed in August 2017 when my mother died. She was 93 and had a rich and adventure-filled life. I think of Mom often and frequently mention her to others, because she is very much still […]

Take as Much Time as Needed After a Profound Loss

BY JACKIE HOOK AUGUST 27, 2019 08:33 AM, UPDATED AUGUST 27, 2019 12:33 PM In my work with Koch Funeral Home, we choose monthly themes, and then I write blog posts corresponding with that theme. Last year when we chose the themes for 2019, I didn’t realize how pertinent our August […]

Understanding the Relationship Between Change and Grief

BY STUDENTS OF PENN STATE’S COUNSELOR EDUCATION GRIEF AND LOSS CLASS AUGUST 13, 2019 08:41 AM, UPDATED AUGUST 13, 2019 12:41 PM The following are reflections from a counselor education grief and loss class at Penn State on what they learned about grief. Thirteen students contributed to the list: ● […]

What We Learned About Grief: Reflections from Students

BY THE REV. CAROL THOMAS CISSEL June 23, 2019 Substance abuse crosses all boundaries of class, race, geography and age.  Our families and communities are struggling with the pain of addiction, day-in-and-day-out. It is not a new problem.  But, the awful landscape of addiction is an evolving situation that changes […]

Through Grief, Remember to ‘Bear Down’

BY TAMMY GENTZEL May 26, 2019 2017 was a hard year for my husband and me. Our son enlisted in the Marine Corps and was badly hurt in training. If it wasn’t hard enough to watch his hopes for success in the service evaporate, we also endured almost a full […]

Finding the Path to ‘Purposeful Transition’

BY TAMMY JANE WEIGAND FALLS April 28, 2019 My 7th birthday, February 12, 1970, was the worst night of my life. I don’t remember the party or the cake or what must have started out as a happy occasion. I remember the hushed voices, the distraught looks on my family’s […]

Centre County Out of the Darkness Walk on April 28 ...

BY ELLEN SLINGERLAND March 24, 2019 Every Friday at 5:00 for Happy Hour, I’d go to my Mom Harriet’s (Harriet Number One) home in Toftrees, passing by her beloved magnolia tree as I came and went. We had the best time at Happy Hour. She’d have chardonnay, I’d have Miller […]

The Two Harriets: How a Magnolia Plant Helped a Daughter ...

BY EVELYN WALD February 26, 2019 08:33 AM Our grandson just had his first birthday. Although not very interested in opening presents, when his mom pulled a book out of a gift bag and handed it to him, he immediately sat down and opened the book. He knows about books […]

State of the Story Gives Community Members a Chance to ...