Copyright Jennifer Mullins Denial is a hard habit to break. I’ve been struggling to get a good night’s sleep for the last two weeks. I wake up groggy, and my body hurts. Sometimes, naps take the edge off, while I’m tense other times. Writing this the day before Thanksgiving reminds me that my body keeps…… Continue reading Unexpressed Love
Category: Grief
Dealing with grief
Thanksgiving Over Time
After the death of a loved one, holidays are hard. Adjusting to this new life can mean adjusting family traditions as well.
Exercise: Stress Reliever
One of the things that I knew would be important in dealing with the stress of grief was exercise. I also knew that it would have to be something I could do year-round since Phoenix summers are too hot for me to exercise outside. I decided an exercise bike would be a good choice, but…… Continue reading Exercise: Stress Reliever
Accepting What You Cannot Change
Just the Three of Us I switched phone carriers and then got a new phone in the last few months. Both times, I lost recordings that I can’t replace. I had to learn to make peace with the things that I could not change. My dad had called and usually left a message for me…… Continue reading Accepting What You Cannot Change
Life is a Both/And Proposition
Copyright Both/And Jennifer Mullins My counselor is having me read Loving Bravely by Alexandra H. Solomon, Ph.D. Each chapter has an assignment that helps you get to know yourself better, the patterns you have, and how to get the love you want. In one of the chapters, she talks about the concept of both/and. I…… Continue reading Life is a Both/And Proposition
Never Forget
9/11 is forever seared into our collective consciousness as we watched in real-time the unimaginable: planes crashing into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It was horrifying watching the people fleeing the towers as first responders were heading into the fire, only to have them come crashing down on…… Continue reading Never Forget
Alone Versus Lonely
Copyright Jennifer Mullins I never lived on my own until A, my youngest, moved to his own apartment. I went from living with my family of origin to being married. Learning to be on my own meant becoming comfortable in my own skin. There were many times when I was living with others when I…… Continue reading Alone Versus Lonely
No One’s Perfect
Copyright Jennifer Mullins It’s so easy when someone dies to make them a saint. Sometimes, B. would put her dad on a pedestal, but I wouldn’t. I think you honor someone who has died by looking at them as a complete human, the good and the bad. Relationships are complicated because we bring ourselves and…… Continue reading No One’s Perfect
The Other Goodbyes
Grief at the time of death is expected. The unexpected grief from the other goodbyes would bring the swells of sadness to the surface as I would have to let go of another thread of the cloth that bound Mike and me together. Copyright Jennifer Mullins When Mike first died, I couldn’t find the last…… Continue reading The Other Goodbyes
Sometimes, Saying Nothing is Best
Copyright Jennifer Mullins I heard so many platitudes when Mike died. The thing is, I know that I was just as guilty of doing the same thing. Only with lived experience could I change how I showed up for others. “He’s in a better place” or “he’s not suffering anymore” were common refrains. Not only…… Continue reading Sometimes, Saying Nothing is Best
Beautiful Bittersweet Life 
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