Blog2021-10-31T10:05:32-04:00

My Blog

How I Became A Member of the Widow’s Club

Before we received my husband's cancer diagnosis, when we were still the family that I had always wanted to be, I received three prophetic signs that my world was about to implode. First: I had a dream. My husband Mark and I were cruising along, side by side in a small convertible. The top [...]

By |August 25, 2023|Messages for Those Who Grieve|

Reorganizing, Fresh Starts, and Perfectionism

I am giving up a large, spacious house, the place where first we, and then I alone, raised our family. I have mixed feelings about all the levels of being that this move affects. Certainly I will have more time and resources available at my disposal since there will be so much less house [...]

By |July 10, 2023|Messages of Encouragement|

Kintsugi: A Metaphor for Grief & Healing

Kintsugi is a Japanese art form that uses precious metals, like gold, to repair broken pottery. Rather than trying to mend the cracks so that they become invisible, kintsugi highlights the “scars” as a unique enhancement to the design. The use of gold, a metal that ancient Egyptians called “the breath of God,” makes [...]

By |May 31, 2023|Messages for Those Who Grieve|

Willpower & Grief

The most challenging things we set out to do usually involve willpower. Recently I have been reading about an Olympic athlete, her struggles and achievements. In thinking about her life I began to wonder about that mysterious thing called willpower. In particular I considered what I knew about willpower (not that much) and how [...]

By |May 8, 2023|Messages for Those Who Grieve, Uncategorized|

Signs From The Universe

Did you ever find affirmation through a visible sign? Maybe for you it was seeing a butterfly against your window, a cardinal appearing unexpectedly, or a rainbow’s glory on a day where everything seemed to go wrong.  For me, finding a four-leaf clover has always brought a smile because it reminds me of my [...]

By |March 29, 2023|Messages for Those Who Grieve, Messages of Encouragement|

Grief, Happiness & Purposeful Remembrance

Americans grow up hearing about their fundamental right to the “pursuit of happiness.” The English philosopher, John Locke, originated the phrase that Thomas Jefferson famously borrowed in the Declaration of Independence. You may wonder, how is this relevant to grief? There is a connection because on one hand our culture values happiness as a [...]

By |March 10, 2023|Messages for Those Who Grieve|

Living What You Write

Last week I wrote about life throwing unwelcome surprises our way and the lessons we can learn from pain.  Minutes after posting it my cell phone rang.  The news I received was gut wrenching, affecting someone close to me.  The irony of the timing could not have sent a louder message.  Writing about how [...]

By |February 12, 2023|Messages for Those Who Grieve|

Moving After A Spouse Dies

When a husband dies there are immediate financial repercussions. Though experts suggest waiting a year before making any major decisions, some things cannot wait. One of these might be whether or not to stay in your present home. For the majority of women, a spouse’s death drastically affects their overall financial situation. Staying in the [...]

By |May 18, 2021|Messages of Encouragement|
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