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Permalink Reply by Lou LaGrand, Ph.D. on December 30, 2009 at 7:23am

Courtney:
I am a counselor. If you want to see a counselor in your area call your local hospice, hospital or church and ask for a recommendation. You can also go to www.adec.org and look for grief counselors in your area. Find someone you feel comfortable with and can talk to. Important to talk about what is happening inside, not resist, and allow the grief to work through you. Lou LaGrand, Ph.D.

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Permalink Reply by Courtney Rice on December 31, 2009 at 4:38am

Thank you, Dr. I will try www.adec.org right away. As I rarely can leave the house, perhaps they can hook me up with someone by phone too.
I appreciate you taking the time to respond.
Sincerely, Courtney

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Permalink Reply by Courtney Rice on December 31, 2009 at 4:25am

Thank you Kelly-
I was going to write you when I saw "How do I go on alone", but I didn't know what to say, even though I was widowed at 39. I guess I'm in too much pain to be giving advice at the moment. However, I can't begin to thank you for your response. I am searching out a counselor, which I should have done so many times before.
I lost my only (adoptive) sibling, a sister, to cancer in '96. She struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction for many years, so we weren't very close, but she was still my only sibling.
I understand the possibility of rejection of a birth mother, but I'm so alone I'm willing to take the chance, because any birth family member would be a blessing. I watched "The Locator" a lot and tried to get their help-but they wanted $700.00 I couldn't really afford. I even spoke with an adoptee years ago after her story was in the paper.Her mother had died a couple years earlier, but her sister and many others reached out. She even had my birth mother's name-Deanna. That's one of the reasons I was pulled to her article.
Anyway, thank you again...I feel a little less alone now because you reached out.
Sincerely, Courtney

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Permalink Reply by Courtney Rice on February 1, 2010 at 8:59pm

Thank you for telling me about free family tree template. I have bookmarked it and will give it a try. I need my birth family more than ever now; my birthday and Christmas were miserable as I was alone. I do not want that to happen this year. Hopefully, I will have a family again soon. I've always wondered if I have siblings, as my only adopted sister was a very sad soul. (She died in 1996). Losing Michael has been like the "last straw". He was not supposed to go before me!
Thanks again...sincerely, Courtney

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