Dearest Neighbor, This is one of the greatest fears The Living have following the death of a loved one, especially an unexpected or “untimely” death. Widows and Widowers. Loss Mamas, Papas, and Siblings. “Orphaned” children. [Insert your whatever.] We lament what will never be. “Lost time.” Things that “should be” but never will be. We have this sense of how … Read More
Ask Annah: How Do I Move Forward When the Past Keeps Repeating Itself? Part I, Relationships
Dear Neighbor, Oh, let me count the ways I understand your question. How do I move forward when the past keeps repeating itself? This question is deep and complex and covers so many areas of our lives and across each of our five facets. When it seems as if life keeps dealing you one blow after another, it can feel … Read More
Ask Annah: How Do I Apologize When So Much Time has Passed?
Dearest Neighbor, One of the number one stresses, concerns, and fears surrounding holidays and other celebratory events has to do with relationships. Think about all the jokes you’ve heard and possibly made about those crazy family get-togethers, the family tension, or worries about Who is going to say What. Some of the most common culprits of family rifts are miscommunication, … Read More
Ask Annah: Why Do Friendships Change After a Significant Loss?
“Friendships are discovered rather than made.” ~ Harriett Beecher Stowe Dear Journeyer, “Why do friendships change after a significant loss?” is a question and conversation I hear regularly from people of all ages and across all loss forms. If you have discovered that your relationships with friends or family feel strange or estranged since a Significant Life Loss Event entered … Read More
The Reason Grief Feels Eternal
Even though it’s been twenty-seven years since my firstborn’s arrival into this world, I remember how eternal those weeks following his birth were. Like many moms do, I swayed in the rocker at the foot of the crib we’d so lovingly adorned the nursery with. I twisted the dial on the bed chamber’s musical mobile and awaited its soothing melodies. I … Read More
Ruby’s Perspectacle
Happy Sunday, Journeyer! Wow…what a week… I must say that the most rewarding part of the week was having a week off from my “outside job.’ One glorious week. And to boot? Hubby was away for the bookend weekends, which meant I had the house to myself and hours upon hours to work on some passion projects. Remember what Confucius … Read More
This or Something Better: Gifts from Our Magical Universe
“Magic waits at the beginning of belief.” ~ Robert Therrien Badger Happy Monday, Journeyer! Today I write to you from the passenger seat of my trusty SUV. Warren and I are headed out for a rare get-away; a trip to Atlantic City, NJ! Though we’ll toss a twenty into the slot machines at some point over the next few days, … Read More
Making Merry, Nice, and the Most of Life through Changing Our Thoughts
“The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they make the best of everything.” ~ Author Unknown Happy Sunday, Journeyer, You know those expressions about being split wide open or having our hearts swell to the breaking point? Those are the things that happen right before our greatest personal growth moments. They are the loss events that eventually lead … Read More
Giving the Gift of Receiving
Dear Journeyer, ‘Tis the season for giving, right? A time of year when we do more and give more of our time and our money. And yet there is one gift that many of us overlook. I call it “The Gift of Receiving.” We parents, nurturers, teachers and healers often find it difficult to receive anything, whether it be a … Read More
You’re a Mini Genius
Happy Sunday, Journeyer! Have you ever considered your genius or thought about how brilliant you are? So many of us don’t, but one of this week’s happy highlights has me pondering that very topic. Yesterday I answered the phone to hear this shriek of exclamation from my sister, “You’re a mini genius!” A few hours earlier I had offered her … Read More