I hope you all got through the Christmas holiday alright. I know this time of year can be especially difficult for many, whether your loss occured last week, or several years ago. The shadow of that loss can dim even the brightest of holiday lights. On Christmas Eve morning, I spent some time on the […]
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Sun Standstill
Today, December 21st ushers in the first official day of the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere and Capricorn season, which is technically my season and a reminder that my birthday occurs in less than four weeks. This holiday season presents a “First” as it is the first Christmas I’ll spend without my mother. I […]
Caregiver
My late husband Don was a caregiver by nature. I know I have said this before, but perhaps not in enough detail or with enough bravado to properly explain how caring and patient and loving he was, and genuinely loved being. Yes, he was in EMS for his career choice, but even aside from that, […]
House Hold
This week began with a visit from long-time friends from New Jersey that still live on the same road as Rich and I had at the New Jersey Shore. They were visiting other NJ refugees that now reside along the coast about an hour from here and spent the day learning about rural Central […]
Taking Account at Year’s End
In my family, December is dying time. Mom passed away in December a few months before Lee and I married. I still can see my father crying softly during our wedding ceremony, sitting by himself, his wife of more than fifty years gone from his side. Thirteen years later, on a Sunday in December, Dad, […]
Peace Circle
Yesterday I had lunch with two dear widow friends that Ive gotten pretty close with. We started talking about how important it has been for each of us in our life after loss, to find a sense of peace in our life and in our surroundings. We talked about how we had no choices in […]
The Long Trail Forward
The past week found me entrenched in preparing gift baskets for a Silent Auction that was held last night. Despite some weather challenges and logistical matters, I’m happy to report it was a successful event. Floridians do not like colder temps. This “Yule Be Home for Christmas and Happy Mew Year” themed event was held […]
Stop Feeling Guilty
In 2014, Dr. Lucy C. Hone, a director at the New Zealand Institute of Wellbeing & Resilience and a university researcher witnessed a motorist slam his car into a car that was carrying her young daughter, instantly killing the child. See https://ideas.ted.com/sorrow-and-tragedy-will-happen-to-us-all-here-are-3-strategies-to-help-you-cope/ (Nov. 13, 2019). She recalls, “Suddenly, I was the one on the receiving […]
Life Cycles
I had a nice Thanksgiving. Two Thanksgivings, actually. On that day, the weather was bad (rain, sleet, bit of snow), so we pushed our family holiday out by one day so my parents wouldnt have to travel the 2 hours from Cape Cod to come here. Instead, I had an invite to hang with my […]
The Art of Thanksgrieving
How did everyone do with the Thanksgiving Holiday? I know Soaring Spirits is an organization with an international membership, so for some of you, it really was just “another day”. For many in the US, however, Thanksgiving is a day filled with the expectation of being surrounded by family, food and friends. I have had […]
Once Again
I Forgot You Left It was last Saturday night I was struggling with a writing goal a story that felt slightly out of reach Called a friend Drum she said I drummed for a time felt sleepy and went to bed at 6pm Awoke at 9:30pm but fell asleep again Awoke at […]
Daddy is Dead.
Last night was really tough. The twins and I were in our after-school routine, as we were most weekdays. I started the bath as usual and put one twin in after the next. As I began to wash Charlotte’s hair, Wyatt said to me, “I really really really want Daddy, Mommy. He’s taking foreverrrrrr to […]