Last weekend I had an inspirational visit to New England, the origin of my late father’s family, of French Canadian descent. As a kid, most holidays found my family loading up the car for another trek from New Jersey to Massachusettes where my siblings and I made fun of the accents of 42 our first […]
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Finding a Way to Grow
I had an appointment with a local acupuncturist in town. My main acupuncturist (yes, I have 2) is an hour away and I’d been meaning to schedule with the local one since we trade services occasionally. It had been awhile since I’d been to her office. When I got out of the Jeep, I almost […]
Harbingers
As I’ve mentioned here, our weather has been unusually nice for the past several months. The mild temperatures have persisted into early November, though the local weather forecasters predict that the weather gods’ largesse is about to end. I’ve taken advantage of our good fortune to stay ahead of late Fall’s numbing, cold rains, continuous […]
In Praise of Tears
An Ode to Weeping Alone in my bed the other night, I wept. It surprised me. I let my tears fall without holding back. In six months, Dan will be gone five years. Those walking the path of grief understand the weird way our bodies know how to “tell time” and set our hearts into […]
Another Bloody Birthday
Yesterday was Tony’s birthday. He should have been turning 48, but he is forever 43. I actually double checked myself because 48 didn’t sound right. He was born two years before me so keeping track of his age is easy. Yet still I questioned if that number was right. Five birthdays we’ve missed his presence […]
New Experiences Remind Me I Am Still Moving Forward
I will be going on a week long international vacation with my girlfriend and her family. It made me look back on vacations I have taken in my life. First, I am not big on travel. I get a bit anxious if I am gone from home for more than a few days. But, I […]
Playlists From Beyond
On Tuesday, I awoke around 1:00am. Turning on my laptop, I knew what I was looking for; the Facebook Post I’d written on that day four years earlier sharing the sad and unwanted news with so many that Rich had lost his three-week long fight to keep on living. There are now over 500 comments […]
The Story of a Photo
I happened to be going through some old photos and stumbled on one from when we first moved to Oregon. It’s funny how images can act as little time travel devices sometimes, putting you right back to the moment it was taken. The year was 2007. Hard to believe that was now 18 years ago. […]
Officially Nearing the End
I basically stopped working as a lawyer soon after Lee passed away from cancer. It has been more than five years. Now, I feel the time has come to discuss my “official” retirement with the two principals at the law firm where Eric and I landed after we voluntarily closed our own firm. Back then, […]
A promise to myself
is worth keeping A valuable promise for widowed people to make is to prioritize our own self-care and self-worth by committing to our well-being and growth. What does “I’ll take care of you” mean when we say it to ourselves? We might begin by prioritizing self-care and dare to discover what “self-worth” means […]
When Longtime Traditions Change
Yesterday, I facilitated a parol making workshop for a large group of Filipinos, some I have known since I was a child. Parols are a traditional, Philippine lantern displayed during the holiday season, and made of capiz shells. OUR homemade carols, however, are made of bamboo sticks and cellophane paper. Years ago, I would bring […]
Detours and Alignment
In last week’s post, I wrote about timelines and how they can help us recognize the milestones of moving forward after a pivotal life-changing event. I have often drawn my own Timelines to keep events in correct order. I once recounted a story about my dog Quint and Rich. Later a friend reminded me that […]