“As Summer Was Just Beginning”

Today, the world of pop culture lost JD Salinger, Howard Zinn and Zelda Rubenstein. In the past two years, pop culture has lost more celebrities than I could possibly list or pay tribute to here. My personal life has been rocked with a number of deaths also. If you are trying to heal or recover from this kind of tragedy, sometimes you just need to simply be emotional for awhile.

To survive and event like this, you have to be able to laugh one minute  and burst into tears the next. It’s the only way to recover. Denial will only slow down the process. Crying is good. Even if you can’t cry right away, don’t try to hold the tears back when they are ready to fall. Laughter is good too, even if you feel ashamed of wanting to laugh.

We all know that it is impossible to put into words the pain, shock, sadness and anger that we feel after finding out that a loved one has died (whether they are family, a friend or an idol). The following list is composed of quotes from various sources that I feel are able to put this wave of emotion into words.

“When a pending pain is so big, there is an inner place that a soul will go to keep from breaking. A place where it sits and holds terribly still, an emotional coma that allows our heart a moment of peace so that we can begin to heal. In this place we find a void, where there is no feeling, no up, no down, no sound, no taste.” -Sugarland

“You never think the last time is the last time. You think you have forever, but you don’t.” -Grey’s Anatomy

“We’re meant to lose the people we love. How else would we know how important they are to us?” -The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

“Is it the loss that breaks us or the ‘what ifs?’ Regret is a ghost that haunts. She waits patiently in the shadowy halls of memory. Waiting for a moment to ask her only question, ‘why didn’t you?” -Sugarland

“The old saw that time heals all wounds doesn’t quite wash. Time helps- it’s the only thing that does; it helps you to go on, to live, to laugh, to love- but it doesn’t help you to forget or lessen the tiny stab of pain that remembrance brings.” –Lauren Bacall

I also encourage you to make a playlist of music that fits the emotions you are feeling and reminds you of the person. If you are looking for ideas, here are a few that I think are particularly powerful or meaningful:

“Hallelujah” -Jeff Buckley

“Hear You Me” Jimmy Eat World

“Love Heals” (From the Rent movie soundtrack)

“Bridge Over Troubled Water” -Simon and Garfunkel

“Angel” -Sarah McLachlan

“You’ll Never Walk Alone” (From the musical Carousel)

“To Where You Are” -Josh Groban

“Without You” -Rent

“Borrowed Angels” -Kristin Chenoweth

“Let It Be” -The Beatles

“I’ll Be Seeing You” -Frank Sinatra

“Fix You” -Coldplay

What do you do to help you grieve? Do you have a particular song, quote or movie that helps you begin to heal? Let me know, and may your loved ones rest in peace.

Grey’s Anatomy/Private Practice (Crossover)

SPOILER ALERT!  

Last night was the newest episode of Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice. In a seemingly annual tradition now, the episode was a crossover between the two.I was overjoyed to see Addison roaming the halls of Seattle Grace once again, and it was an interesting change to see Mark in Los Angeles.  However, I have to say, that this wasn’t one of the better crossovers.  

First of all, I’m not liking the fact that all of a sudden Mark has a daughter and I find it slightly out of character that he would bond with her so quickly. I was shocked when Addison mentioned in last night’s episode that Sloan (the daughter) is 18. I don’t know who the actress is, but she definitely looks older than 18. She looks closer to her mid-twenties. I didn’t like it when Gilmore Girls had a similar storyline and I don’t like it now.  

By the way, I’m completely on Team Lexie. I wouldn’t want a pregnant step-daughter only a few years younger than me either.  

I’m also getting a little tired of Izzie not being on the show. I know Katherine has been on maternity leave since she adopted her daughter, but Grey’s isn’t the same without her. There are so many different characters now, after the Seattle Grace-Mercy West merger, that a lot of the characters aren’t getting much screen time anyway, but Izzie’s presense is still missed. Thank goodness she will be back next week!  

The moment when Sam and Naomi’s daughter Maya told Addison that she was pregnant was completely predictable, for me anyway, especially because Addison was the one she told.  

However, the most painful part of the crossover was obviously when Charlotte and Cooper broke up. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems to me that the reason Cooper is mad at Charlotte is because she didn’t tell him that she was once engaged. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like he is overreacting a little in his anger. I mean, she didn’t cheat on him or anything right?  

Some of the moments of these episodes I did like:  

• Derek trying to set Bailey up on a date.
• Addison and Mark hooking up.
• Sam getting jealous and protective of Addison.
• Dell finally caving in and apologizing to Betsy.

What did you think? What was your favorite part? Am I the only one who thought this wasn’t one of the better crossovers?