“Radical acceptance of our story is the only way to move forward. All that matters is what is actually in your story. And part of radically accepting it is letting your own story break your heart.” I came across this quote by Katherine Wolf, while searching for more grief and healing podcasts, and […]
Widowed by Illness
Hello August … Hello Melancholy
For the past 16 years I’ve been visited by a melancholy that begins mid-August and lasts through September. Some years it has spoken quite loudly; other years just a quiet whisper. This year feels especially heavy. I’ve mentioned previously that my two wedding anniversaries and two death dates are very closely connected: I married Vern […]
I’m making a list …
“When something bad happens you have three choices. You can either let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.” I’ve certainly let Jim’s death define me during these past 10+ months – and I did it after Vern died, too. Lots of hurts and oh so many tears. […]
I (YOU) Will Survive ❤️🩹
“At first I was afraid, I was petrifiedThinking I could live without you by my side” Meet my girlfriends Lizzie, widowed for six years, has three amazing teenage and young adult boys. Evelyn has been divorced for more than ten years and has one amazing teenage daughter and one spunky, super-cool tween son 😎. The […]
Light Summer Reading 📚
The Wild Edge of Sorrow This book has been sitting on my nightstand for months. I love reading, yet that’s another thing that took a back seat to trauma and grief. I finally started reading the book today. As I lay on the sand and opened the book, I laughed to myself. “Wow, girl… you’re […]
Happy Birthday, Jim
Jim’s 80th birthday was Thursday. We had talked about doing something extra special in 2026 when I hit 75 and he hit 80 … a trip to Hawaii, perhaps … or maybe even Italy! It was fun thinking about what we might decide to do … until he got so sick and we just took […]
Permission to Be/Come 😊
I feel like I barely finished our summer travel plans, and the summer is almost over. Two and a half years after my loss, I’m still having to remind myself of how much energy everything takes. It has gotten better, but man… this process feels so slow sometimes!!! Subconsciously, I think the more I’m able […]
I Demand a Full Refund 💵
I Did Not Order This Life 📦 Nope! not even by mistake. I want my old life back. Week started as a downer for all three of us, each for different reasons. Our daughter was devastated because she finally landed a gymnastics skill she’d been working on for months. But when she tried it again […]
From the Battlefield 🇺🇸
Since the end of the school year, in the third week of June, our 17-year-old boy had been itching to get out of town on a day trip or road trip, but we had all been way too tired… until now. Specifically, he wanted to go to Gettysburg, PA, to a tiny but […]
Saying Goodbye
Well … I must say that I’m quite happy that June is in my rearview mirror. And it occurred to me that perhaps there might have been a subliminal reason for why I was sick for nearly that whole month. Jim’s Celebration of Life was held in June No – I wasn’t invited No […]
Boundaries? What’s That? 😫
Hola, fellow grieving friends. First and, of obvious utmost importance, 🇲🇽 Mexico’ soccer team made it to the Octavos de Final in the World Cup ⚽️ yesterday and now I’m thinking we could actually win this thing 🏆!!! Ok, maybe not. Most likely not, but still, it is really fun to dream! Ok. This past week […]
Grief Hangover?🍸
Never Have I Ever… Been drunk in my life. Never, ever, ever, ever. Yep, you heard it here first, folks!!! And I’m thinking that right about now would be a great time to add that ⬆️ to my to-done list ✅. So technically, I don’t know what a hangover really feels like. But if I […]