Hello Sunday Readers, Today is a rare day off where I don’t have to leave my apartment or do anything. I have things to get done around my place, but I can stay in my pajamas and take my time with my To-do list, and have the kitty in my lap a good part of […]
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True Story
In going through my archives, a memory of a New Jersey Holiday event brought a nostalgic moment. In my “past life” as a Full-time Working Artist, The Holly Berry Boutique held each year at the Upper Montclair Woman’s Club in Northern North Jersey was always a beloved occasion for me, my fellow artists, family and […]
The Day of the Dead
November 1st is a day when a number of different cultures honor their dear, departed loved ones. The most widely known of these celebrations occurs in Mexico and is called El Dia de Los Muertos — The Day of the Dead. Similar celebrations occur during the first few days of November in Guatemala, El Salvador, […]
Parting
Yesterday, I got a bill from the lawyer who handles my estate plan. I have been tweaking this plan from time to time and still need to confirm the most recent changes. It is a simple plan, given I don’t have a wife or kids to consider, but I seem to spend undue time agonizing […]
Exploring What Might Help
Today I wish to offer three simple tools to help those of us who are having an especially “off” day. Three fresh ideas or strategies for your back pocket at the ready in advance of your need. Difficult days arrive out of nowhere for new widowed people, or long-time widowed people. […]
Bittersweet Reminiscence
Reminiscing is a blessing and a curse. The number of people who will ever know Tony is finite and that number will never be larger than it is today. I enjoy recounting stories with those who knew him well because we are usually sharing the memory. Even when I’m given the space, it’s harder to […]
18 Years
Today is my wedding anniversary. It has been 18 years since I married my best friend at the San Souci in Sea Cliff, NY. 18 years since the music literally stopped playing during our first dance, due to a technical error on the D.J.’s computer. 18 years since we danced our first dance not to […]
Remembering All Souls
This time of year brings the inevitable reckoning of a three year milestone. Each day, my Social Media feeds deliver me back to those days that changed my life forever. It is a blessing and a curse to be able to relive, in what sometimes feels like real-time, the events leading up to the day […]
As Time Marches On
Every now and then I’ll think about all the things in the world that have transpired since Mario made his exit from this life, big things and small. Part of his depression always included all the bad stuff happening in the world that an individual has little control over. No amount of trying to convince […]
Nervous Eating
Every day, I see small yellow and red leaves falling in the hundreds, relentless falling leaves coloring the lawn. The geese are gathering. Were they drawn together by chance to form the V-formations cutting across the Fall sky? Occasionally, I will hear them honking off in the distance. Robyn was first to spot the small, […]
Trusting Me
Which part of me do I trust? This is me in grief’s low spaces. Grief stricken. Broken. Vulnerable to pain. Feeling useless. What good is a broken bridge? Can I trust the broken parts of me? This is me in grief’s growing places. Evidence of my brokenness is visible. Yet I […]
“I want to give your kids the world.”
As the twins’ birthday trip nears I have found myself caught in a whirlwind of emotions. More so than normal. Any time I’m getting ready for a trip I find myself thinking of Erik more often than I already do. So why do I continue to do it? Because traveling also makes me feel closest […]