Every hour, across the globe, stories of loss are headlined in newspapers, on radio and television. Each story, however, is both intricately and simply personal. As these stories unfold before the public eye, the griever is entering Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ 5 Stages of Grief, a complex web of emotion and thought. And though grief is a natural and essential part of … Read More
Respite
In my last post, I spoke about finding respite during a busy time of my life. That is one virtue I’ve been trying to teach my teens these past few years: There are times throughout our lives when we must appreciate simple moments of rest and relaxation, for there are stressful periods when we cannot afford the luxury of leisurely … Read More
Bright Moon Grateful
The few weeks before school ends are always full. I often find myself running from place to place, chore to chore, and looking forward to the end of the academic year, for then the hampster wheel that is June with active children will end. Despite the hectic schedules and perpetual scheduling, rescheduling and planning, my husband and I have been … Read More
When Life Gives You Lemons: Cut Open an Onion
Yes. You read the title correctly: When life gives you lemons, cut open an onion. This thought came to me a couple of weeks ago, after I thought of the well-known expression, “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” This optimisim has been passed down for generations, a cliche recognized by nearly everyone. The assumption being that we can turn … Read More
Oliver’s Story Retold
“What would God want with a twenty-four-year old? A young man that has—had—his whole life in front of him?” A man sitting next to me at a committee meeting posed the question to the woman in front of me. The boy he referred to recently died in an accident that involved a recreational vehicle. Preliminary police reports purport that alcohol … Read More
At the Helm of a Shooting Star
My oldest son turned twenty yesterday. My, oh, my; that doesn’t seem possible. Twenty years ago we experienced his joyous birth; twenty years since the painful separation brought about in his death. Twenty years… And now I celebrate his life once again. We went to the cemetery on Mother’s Day, dug out the few weeds that had surfaced since Easter, removed the Easter … Read More
Fortitude
I cannot begin to convey how amazed and humbled I am by the vast response to the last post. Clearly I touched something in many as the post counter is rapidly rising. I hope you are enjoying my words, and, possibly, finding some message that benefits you. I have a deep belief that some of the stagnation that occurs in our healing process … Read More
(Your) “Time Heals All Wounds”
My heart goes out to the celebrities of recent who are facing strife of great proportions in their lives. Adultery. Infidelity. Cheating. Hurt. Pain. Anger. Confusion. Betrayal. Sadness. And the list of words to describe the emotions they will experience at some time throughout their ordeal goes on and on and on… Firstly they are entering a phase of their … Read More
A Day of Reckonciling
Two people close to me have nervously asked since reading my first post, “You don’t think he’s having another affair,” (pregnant pause), “do you?” I was afraid that would come up by friends and family, after I’d read what I’d written, and, thus, added the “tenuous as they were…” For those who have attempted and/or succeeded in repairing a marriage … Read More