Saturday, I had the pleasure of catching up with two of my friends from college. One friend lives locally but we don’t see each other nearly often as we should. My other friend lives in a coastal city out east. I hadn’t seen her in 3 years, but they hadn’t seen each other in 10 […]
Miscellaneous
A Car as a Time Capsule
Lynn and I met a year before we were officially a couple. For a year, we steadily became closer friends. (Honestly, I was secretly dating her for that year, but she didn’t know it…) Lynn bought a brand new, Silver, 2005 Toyota Scion xA that year. Her Golden Retriever had passed away shortly before she […]
Paws to Honor the Dog Moms
Today, the day before Mother’s Day, is officially Dog Mom’s Day. For many, especially those that are widowed, our dogs (and other pets) can fill a great void when no human can, providing comfort and companionship when they feel so all alone in the world, sometimes even when they have actual human kids. My […]
New Traditions
(Originally posted this in 2024 for Mario’s birthday. I didn’t get to really celebrate this year because I had too many client meetings that day, but am hoping to pick the tradition back up next year.) Just about anyone who’s lost someone will tell you that birthdays of that lost person are tough. Birthdays just […]
My Evolving Relationship with Old Routines
I started running again the past week. My usual route, 3 miles around the lake a few minutes from my house, and the neighborhood I grew up in. This has been my usual nightly running route on and off for the past 15+ years, though it’s a trail I have been traversing since I was […]
My Late Partner’s Posthumous Birthdays
Lynn’s birthday was this past week – the 11th birthday since she passed. Wow – I actually had to count it out on my hand a few times just now before I could believe it. (She passed in December 2014… so that makes it 11 years. Is that really right?!) It’s hard to grasp how […]
A Week in “Old Florida” Never Gets Old
It’s been a “mundane” but productive week filled with property-related distractions; the homestead matters that call for care and maintenance, those things that keep me grounded, literally. The tasks of making sure my foundation is secure. I kind of like weeks like that. Nose-to-the-grindstone kind of stuff. Fortunately, I found out this week that I […]
The Honor and “Responsibility” of Continuing Her Legacy
The other day, I ran into a good friend that I have known for a couple decades at the coffeehouse. She (Nancy) introduced me to the friend she was with (Susan), and the first thing Susan said to me was, “I knew your Lynn!” She said it with such cheer, friendliness, and “normality,” and we […]
You are “So Strong”
Winn-ie, the tiny puppy I “acquired” during a shopping trip to Winn Dixie has proven to be a smart, sweet and rough and tumble little cutie. She and my big dog, Jackson, continue to forge an adorable bond and our other two older dogs have learned to tolerate the antics of this energetic pup. Recently, […]
Things Left Behind
People leave behind an energy. People leave behind ideas. People leave behind accomplishments. People leave behind material things. And people leave behind emotions in others. In the case where someone is highly creative, they also leave behind works of their creativity. In all these ways, death is not final. Throughout history, humans have expressed themselves […]
Fear and Uncertainty
Fear and uncertainty. With countries worldwide trading angry threats, I suddenly feel fearful and uncertain about my future well-being. I struggle to stay focused and calm. Meanwhile, the roiling financial markets and dire warnings of experts and pundits do little to restore my confidence and well-being regarding the future. Recent events have felt like a […]
8 Ways My Perimenopause Journey Reminds Me of My Grief Journey
Experiencing the Sacred Journey of Perimenopause is reminding me of when I began the Sacred Journey of Grief… 1) The FATIGUE… I’m a runner, used to do several half marathons a year. Since I began the Perimenopause, I suddenly get sooo tired – mentally and emotionally, as well as physically. In the middle of a […]