Contributions for 2012

After five years, I realize this is a journey that I will be on for the rest of my life.

When it comes down to it though, Christmas is not about the presents and cookies, but rather it is a season of love.

“Knowing that this is an organization making a difference to so many every single day” is what keeps Charlene coming back

Each year since the crash, members of the unit have gathered to honor their battle buddies and memorialize the loss.

"Sharing so that others may begin to understand the national treasure our country has lost in the lives of our loved ones." ~ Jeanne Harris Weaver

Volume 18, Issue 4

Rebecca Morrison is one of two widows TIME Magazine featured in its July cover story on the surge in Army suicides.

My hope for you is that TAPS Retreats will add a sunny day to your grief journey and bring you unexpected joy in the midst of sorrow.

There is no right or wrong way to respond, but following are some ideas from TAPS survivors.

The holidays are coming and I’m not ready. Everything seems to sparkle and there is always so much to do!

As a parent who is grieving, thinking about the holidays may seem ludicrous, and yet your children will not let them pass without celebration.

Wreaths Across America is an organization that began with a memorable trip to Washington DC by then twelve-year-old Morrill Worcester.

The start of a new calendar year is a chance to realize once again that we are, in fact, still living.

I am thankful for the 13 years I got to spend with my amazing husband and the 2 beautiful boys we had together.

I worry sometimes that I will forget you. You have the other half of my childhood memories.

This year was my first time attending the TAPS Suicide Survivor Seminar, and it is an experience like no other.

Well, this will be our eighth Thanksgiving without my brother, and I just really can’t believe it’s been that long!

Grief, like the waves, has a way of healing us, of returning us to dry land.

Today to recognize the special challenges that military children face after losing a parent, and the strengths they carry that can help them cope with loss too.

A bucket list item that probably only a TAPS audience will appreciate was to visit "the spot" where my brother died.

Whenever I’m having a sad/lonely day, I’m going to “hunt the good”.

Just as grief is a journey, faith is a journey and there are always going to be bumps and turns along the way.

When Austin was diagnosed with cancer I didn’t assume the fetal position and hide.

Widows Rebecca Morrison and Leslie McCaddon are blogging for TIME.com's Battleland blog about their experiences at TAPS National Military Suicide Survivor Seminar.

However, at the end of the day this is my reality and I know that sometimes I just have to face it head on, no matter how much it hurts.

How can we help children bounce back when they have experienced a profound loss or trauma?

If you are in need of extra support since the death of your loved one or would like to know more about TAPS services, the Survivor Care Team is here for you.

Come with me and know that we are all a family circle, broken by death, but mended by love.

In a sense, our siblings are parallel travelers in life; we have a shared history. We expect this to be the longest relationship we will ever have.

Each white stone announced the name of the one who rested there. From wars of the distant past and the not so distant past to the present.

For many of us, sleep patterns are disrupted after the death of a loved one, whether the trouble is lack of sleep or too much sleep.

Articles What A Grieving Child Wants You To Know and What Grieving People Want You To Know are found on Dr. Virginia A. Simpson's website.

A new TAPS mentor shares their experience as a first-time mentor at a Good Grief Camp out for military survivor children.

James Baird at the TAPS Good Grief Camp with a child over Memorial Day Weekend in 2007.

Volume 18, Issue 3

For those who are walking a lonely path right now, I want to encourage you…your heart will feel lighter in time. Take your time; hold on to your faith.

The fact that people you do not even know would take the time and effort to run in honor of your fallen loved one means so much.

If there is ever a time in life when we need others to support and nurture us, it’s when someone we love dies.

Casework Assistance team shares top picks for scholarships and educational resources.

Although she’s not a survivor of a military death, Roseanne Lehman is no stranger to loss and grieving.

Kim Ruocco regularly relives her darkest days – her husband’s suicide and the downward spiral that led to it – to save other military families.

It was such an honor to wear the TAPS singlet during yesterday's Big Wildlife Run.

I didn’t take into account the day before the “Last Day” of our lives. It hit me harder than a ton of metaphorical bricks.

Yet, I also know that I’ll never “move on”. Ko will forever have a piece of my heart. My goal right now is to keep carrying on in pursuit of brighter days.

Vacations have always been a prominent source of my most treasured childhood memories.

I miss my best friend. That friend that knows you better than you know yourself and you don’t have to give any background information when telling a story.

We all need support, no matter what may be going on in our lives, and when you lose someone close to you that support is what helps get you through.

Interview with Kim Ruocco, surviving spouse and TAPS staff member, about suicide in the military and services available to support grieving military families.

Surviving father Don Lipstein talks with the Madeleine Brand Show about the death of his Navy son by suicide.

Lo and behold my own destiny was waiting patiently for healing to progress to the point where it could awaken again

I have a wish for YOU! Not a wish that speaks of regret, but one that leads to healing. Explore the opportunities TAPS provides.

This week’s question centered around letting others know that you love them while you are grieving the loss of an important person in your life.

I will always be thankful for the 13 years I got to spend with Jeff and the love that we shared was, IS, enough to last a lifetime.

One of the best ways I’ve found to cope is just to give into the tears. I’ve come to accept that there is absolutely no shame in crying

This is the toughest week of my year. Yesterday was Jonathan’s birthday and Thursday is the anniversary of his death.

TIME magazine’s cover story issued today asks why active-duty service members are dying by suicide and features the stories of two widows.

Then Wham!!!! When I least expected it, that beastly, nightmarish animal called anger blindsided me.

I truly believe that his death was not a suicide but indeed a Medicinally Induced Death.

Am I supposed to be celebrating your birthday? Do the angels throw parties in heaven like we do on Earth?

Timothy Swenson, age 13, of Humble, Texas, shares his story of coping with the death of his dad, to help other grieving military children.

I don’t know where I’m headed most days, but I know where I’ve been. And I’m learning that my destination is one of discovery.

It is important to remember that bereaved children must go through their losses very differently than an adult does.

I first began to think about going crazy shortly after our son died. It seemed innocent enough in the beginning.

You have been “torn apart” and have some very unique needs. Among these needs is to nurture yourself physically, emotionally, cognitively, socially, and spiritually.

We hope your children can join us for a weekend of fun, fishing, swimming, hay rides, military static displays, campfires and s’mores, and so much more!

Co-conspirators. Confidants. Comrades. Two apples from the very same tree. Two peas tucked in a single pod. That was us, my brother and me…

Kris has proven to be a true leader and role model for all of us, children and adults alike.

Volume 18, Issue 2

Visit The Art of Manliness Web Blog, Loss, Grief, and Manliness: What Every Man Should Know about Losing a Loved One.

Making art heals. These are the words I weave throughout the workshops I offer during my times with TAPS.

Your emotions will change as you walk the path of grief. Healing Grief, Finding Peace is also packed with inspirational quotes from a variety of sources.

Runners benefit from having a meaningful focus to their run and a charity partner to support. Family members benefit by having their loved ones honored.

Birthdays and anniversaries are days that can be both happy and difficult…especially when you have lost someone you love.

Love never dies; the impact is far reaching and everlasting. It's probably the single most positive emotions that exists.

What really goes on during a TAPS Good Grief Camp for older children who are grieving the death of a parent or sibling who died while serving their country?

This week, TAPS is excited to announce our partnership with Citi on the CredAbility ReConnect program.

“The Got Your 6 campaign is poised to create much needed awareness around military families."

I know that it’s never going to change, but I’m extremely grateful to TAPS for making some of my worst moments a little easier.

We must realize that our friends and family are just trying to figure out how to help us cope with our loss and that they do genuinely care and love us.

Inspiring is the word I’d use to describe the Memorial Day weekend my colleagues and I spent at the TAPS National Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp.

On September 7, 2009, Memorial Day in an instant took on yet another meaning. My son, SSG Austin Daniel, was now one of our great country’s many fallen heroes.

Memorial Day no longer ushers in anything more than my official right to grieve the loss of my brother.

On May 19th I ran my first full marathon in Fargo, ND with the TAPS Run and Remember team.

As a survivor, it was an honor to participate in the Carry the Load national relay as it went through Washington, D.C.

This portrait was the first time in 8 ½ years that we were genuinely smiling for the camera.

The Saturday message started out as a weekly letter between a few friends that met at the TAPS National seminar over a Memorial Day many years ago.

In November, 2008, once again fear dominated my life. Austin was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease.

I am Michele. And I am a survivor. My story mirrors that of every other TAPS survivor.

I would like to welcome you to my world of wonder, wisdom, and widowhood. I am Mrs. Shanette Booker, wife of USMC Sgt. /USARMYSSG.

The last 13 months have been particularly rough. My fiancé SSG Su Wan Ko was killed in an automobile accident in March 2011.

Never in a million years did I think I would be a widow and a single mom to 3 and 5 year old little boys at just 31 years old.

On July 19, 2003, 3 days after his 25th birthday, Jonathan was hit with an RPG while guarding a municipal building near Baghdad.

In this post on the New York Times At War blog, TAPS founder Bonnie Carroll discusses the many issues involved in memorializing our fallen military.

Riding an exercise bike is a lot like grieving. We seem to be pedaling fast and sometimes, it seems as if we are going nowhere.

This article first appeared on Legacy Connect, an online grief support community.

Keeping a diary or writing a letter that no one but you will ever read can have a significant positive impact on the healing journey.

I have not discovered that miracle book, but I have gotten comfort from each book. Sometimes only one sentence “speaks” to me, but I embrace all comfort.

“We regret to inform you.” My oldest son Tony had been killed the day before by a sniper's bullet while on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq.

Had I any previous vision of that title, I would have been overcome with fear. And now, knowing that I authored such a book, I’m just overcome.

You have been “torn apart” and have some very unique needs. Among these needs is to nurture yourself physically, emotionally, cognitively, socially, and spiritually.

TAPS peer mentors symbolize new life as they help guide newly bereaved survivors toward the path of remembering the love and celebrating the life of their loved one.

Volume 18, Issue 1

But it is the way Rick lived his life and faced his illness—with unending faith, optimism, humor, dignity, and even professionalism—that I carry with me.

“I love going to the sibling retreat. I like sharing stories with other siblings; I can connect with them. It helps me deal with my grief and it makes my life easier.”

Surviving widows go skydiving with the U.S. Army’s Golden Knights, an elite parachute jumping team based at Homestead.