March 13th will mark Mike’s 13th deathiversary. It feels like an eternity ago and yesterday at the same time. Anticipation of the actual date is emotionally hard. This year, I’ve reached out to people to spend time with as was suggested is something that I read recently about emotional anniversaries. Each year I meet the day differently, depending on where I’m at in my life.
Category: Continuing Bonds After Death
An Ode to Mom and Dad
I recently wrote a poem, “The Seed,” reflecting on the influence my parents had on me and the person I am today. They planted in me the importance of treating everyone with compassion and dignity, especially those who were struggling or suffering. Although it was talked about in our home, it was the way my…… Continue reading An Ode to Mom and Dad
Reflection on Finding Meaning in a Gratitude Challenge
Although I had planned to share my November gratitude challenge earlier, now seems to be a fitting moment as I close out 2024. I started the challenge on November 3rd and disciplined myself to post something daily, regardless of how I felt. Instead of focusing on what might have happened on a particular day, though…… Continue reading Reflection on Finding Meaning in a Gratitude Challenge
Evolving Christmas Traditions Through Loss
For the last three years, I’ve been writing about the holiday season on my blog. It’s helpful when I go back and see where I’ve been. It also is a reminder that the feelings of grief that come up at this time of year are normal. They serve as a compass of where my life…… Continue reading Evolving Christmas Traditions Through Loss
Navigating This Season of Grief: A Personal Journey
Sometimes, I need an outsider to help me see what’s happening when I’m struggling because I’m too close to it. In this case, it was my counselor. This October, I’ve experienced more grief than “my normal.” I feel like I’m drifting through the days like a spectral, only anchored by my calendar and alarms on…… Continue reading Navigating This Season of Grief: A Personal Journey
Finding Joy and Healing Through Improv: A Personal Story
Grief is the roommate that no one wants, that comes uninvited when our loved one dies. It isn’t always as painful as the initial moment of death, but it’s a hum always playing in the background that can become a full orchestra at a moment’s notice. Until I lived through the death of my husband,…… Continue reading Finding Joy and Healing Through Improv: A Personal Story
Nostalgic Memories and Family Traditions: A Personal Reflection
The wisps of melancholy flow through my body as the airplane lifts off the Syracuse tarmac, and I head back home to Phoenix. It has been a whirlwind weekend celebrating my daughter’s wedding and seeing family and friends. As I move across the sky, my body aches as I leave those I love behind and…… Continue reading Nostalgic Memories and Family Traditions: A Personal Reflection
When a Friend Dies
I have been through the grief of my husband and parents’ deaths, but this is the first time I’ve had a significant friend die. I was not prepared for the devastating heartache that accompanied this loss. So much of grief literature focuses on the three prominent deaths: child, spouse, and parent, but I’ve not read…… Continue reading When a Friend Dies
My Mom Lives in Me
On January 23rd, it will be two years since my mom died. Time is funny. It seems like yesterday and forever since I saw her and heard her voice. My thoughts keep returning to her this week and how she still fills so much space in my life. I think about how she’s influenced my…… Continue reading My Mom Lives in Me
Holiday Reflection, 2023
This will be the twelfth Christmas since Mike died and the second without my parents. This is the first Christmas I’m the only living creature in my home since my cat, Bella, died in October. Since December 8th, my holiday grief has kicked into high gear. I have begun to cycle between joy and tears.…… Continue reading Holiday Reflection, 2023
Beautiful Bittersweet Life 
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