I always associate the first blooming flowers of Spring with the start of track season. Phil lived for track season in the same way some people live for football season. He attended every live track meet within driving distance of our house(mind you this takes all day), watched professional meets on TV, knew the names and times of world record…
Widowed Memories
another 25th
fucking 25th i thought we were going to skip this day? here it is, 25th #3, #3 of a billion yet to come. not awesome.have a shitload of laundry to do after the trip, but it’s been exactly three months since liz died and i can’t stand looking at the washing machine, let alone trying to use it. i don’t remember if i mentioned this before,…
Survival
So whether we wanted to or not, it appears that we have survived another date night holiday! Welcome to the other side people – only 363 more days until Valentine’s Day! 😉 This was number 5 for me as a widow. Easier by far, but still – melancholy. Valentine’s Day was my first date with my husband. He was a dashing 16 year old boy who came to my…
In the Box
So a little story… a story I love to tell 🙂 It was February 12th, 2009, and I decided to do something I had given up after Michael’s passing…create homemade Valentine’s Day cards. Making cards was one of my favorite things and with it being a dismal part of the year, I was secretly hoping it would lift my spirits. Michael used to love…
Stinking flowers
When people die, no one really knows what to do. Call? Visit? Send cards, casseroles or flowers? I can personally say that most of the above were very much appreciated. In the fog of grief, many of these overtures were not remembered, unfortunately. So, please, don’t be offended if the thank-you card never arrives. The sympathy cards were kind…
a new year
31st.last day of the year.i wonder how it’s gonna feel, leaving this one behind?probably not as goodas i hoped.heading out for the dayit was cold.really cold.and for the firsttime in a long time i hadto take offliz’srings so i couldwear some gloves.i put themin my camera bag,imagining what iwould do ifi forgot the bag somewhere. our new…
My Screensaver Moment
The other night as I was wrapping gifts in my office, I glanced up at my computer screen. My screen saver is a slide show of all the photos saved on my computer. Each new photo brought a smile to my face as the last few years of parties, milestones, and random poses of family and friends lit up my desktop. While the images of newborns and…
Daffodils
I am like the daffodils that are blooming in my back yard (yes they bloom 2x a year in LA. I thankfully bloom more often.)I crumble, letting the dirt and cold beat down on my brightness, making me floppy and weak, causing me to brown and shrivel. I go within too tired to care anymore. It is there I find the sustenance, the nutrients, all that I…
A Stocking Full of Memories
Last Christmas my family started incorporating Michael back into Christmas by filling a stocking full of gift-cards, gadgets and more that Michael would have loved….but I could use. It was heart warming to see them remember and bring to life some of his favorite things and places from memories passed.This year my family arrived and handed over…
Merry Memories
This Christmas the veil between where Phil is and where I am seems to be much thinner than in years past. Michelle and I once talked about the “feeling” of knowing our husbands were in the room.Michelle remarked that she wasn’t sure if knowing for sure that Daniel was right there would make her feel better or worse. If he were right next to you,…
what she would want
i took maddy tothe same christmas tree lot we wentto last year. she helped mepick out a tree,something i alwayshated doing whenlizwas here.but i had to do it.i know this would have been a reallyexciting timefor us, maddy’s firstchristmas, but it just doesn’t seemreal, doesn’t seemright withouther.this year wedid’t buy the biggesttree…
Tough Month
“December is the toughest month of the year. Others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, October, August, and February.” Mr. Twain hit the nail on the head with this quote, but December truly is a month that tests my perseverance more then the other 11 on the calendar.I think as widows/widowers there are times of the…