Monthly reflections from Kevin Keelen.
Each month, our bereavement minister Kevin Keelen shares a short reflection: a thought, a story, or a gentle companion for wherever you are on your grief journey. New writings appear here as they are published.
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Kelly’s Tear
Kelly’s Tear Among other things, our break in July generously gave me the opportunity to read the book, Signs, by Laura Lynne Jackson. Signs from the other side are something we very often discuss in our support groups. Talking about signs was something unexpected and amazingly helpful to all of us in our 9-11 support…
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Waves
It Comes in Waves For those of us who grew up on the Jersey Shore, there’s a very high probability that when you were young, you were hit hard by a few ocean waves and got tossed around pretty good until somebody taught you how to body surf. It’s something that we have to learn,…
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Reflection, May 05, 2022
A Gift from Mom Last week as I was driving home from a support group meeting at Stephy’s Place, one of my favorite songs came on the radio: Billy Joel’s, Say Goodbye to Hollywood. The lyrics have always touched my heart with a wave of remembrance: “So many faces in and out of my life,…
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A Time for
A Time for… When I was young, my older sister’s favorite tune was a song by The Byrds, “Turn, Turn, Turn.” Although I liked it as well, I had no idea what it was about. As I aged and began to unfortunately attend more and more funerals of loved ones and friends, I began to…
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Honor them
To Honor Them Over the years, I have been inspired and deeply moved by how so many grieving people often eventually find different ways to honor their beloved who died. Like many who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001, Sheila, our Founding Director, started a foundation in her husband Jimmy’s memory. Each time she…
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Grief and Groceries
Grief & Groceries I have rarely facilitated a support group in which the subject of grief and groceries has not come up. Grocery shopping is a huge issue for many, especially those in early grief, and yet each of us may feel very much alone and utterly unique in our experiences there. So many with…
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What a Bargain
What a Bargain Dear Friends, Death has a way of forcing us to face the ULTIMATE questions- the most important questions in life- – What is life all about? – Who is God? – Is there a God? – What is God up to? – Why would God let this happen? – Why now? –…
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From Darkness to Light Holidays
From Darkness to Light Dear Friends, If I hear “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” one more time I may explode. Don’t you just love it when people or songs or billboards or commercials or decorations or movies or tv shows try to tell you how to feel? I just returned from a…
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20 years
Dear Friends, It’s hard to believe that it has been twenty years since the world was changed forever on September 11, 2001. With such a great amount of time having passed, we are able to look back now and see things in ways we were unable to back then. It was twenty years ago that…
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The Quest
The Quest Dear Friends, Back in my college days, I was very active in theater, and I had the awesome opportunity to play the role of Sancho Panza in the musical, Man of La Mancha. It was a blast. I got to follow a crazed knight on his glorious quest, no matter how hopeless, no…