Category: Healing

Coping with Depression: Tools and Insights for Recovery

In this post I share my journey with depression, tools that I found useful, and the hope of finding joy again.
#depression #copingtools #findinghope #findingjoy

Missing Dad: Three Years Later

There’s a rudderless feeling I’ve experienced with the death of both of my parents in 2022. I reflect on missing my dad three years from the anniversary of his death.
#missingdad #memories #grief

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

Music Memories

Jennifer Mullins Photography “Feeding Frenzy,” Jimmy Buffett’s live album from 1990, was a favorite for years. Mike spent part of his life in Florida and was a big Buffett fan. Although I was familiar with some of his songs, I became a big fan after hearing the live album, which was pure fun to listen…… Continue reading Music Memories

Cooking For One

One of the hardest things to do after Mike died was to cook. I enjoyed cooking and baking for all our married life. Over time, I rarely used a cookbook, preferring to create my own recipes, often inspired by something I liked. After Mike died, my son and I ate out a lot, earning many…… Continue reading Cooking For One

Nature Grief Reflection

Nature was the first place I could breathe again after Mike died in 2012. Desert Botanical Garden is located in Phoenix, AZ, about 40 minutes from where I live. The desert has a unique landscape with hard, dry ground, but the plant life that thrives here has such extraordinary beauty. In many ways, it’s reflective…… Continue reading Nature Grief Reflection

Copyright Jennifer Mullins Music plays an essential part in my life, connecting the happy and sad memories of my many experiences. A song can bring me back to a particular moment in time that can make me smile or cry. I often see the events associated with that music in my mind's eye. The Beatles'… Continue reading The Road We Shared

Being Grateful For Who You Are

Copyright Jennifer Mullins I was looking for a document the other day when I opened this letter of gratitude I wrote to myself in 2019 by mistake. I don’t remember why I wrote it, but I forgot about it. I’m glad I found it because it showed me where I was two years ago. It’s…… Continue reading Being Grateful For Who You Are

Meditation

Copyright Jennifer Mullins Grief took my breath away. My overwhelming emotions made it hard to get a deep breath. This, in turn, increased my anxiety, which soon became a constant companion. A few months after Mike died, I ended up in the ER, sure I’d had a heart attack. My tests showed a healthy heart,…… Continue reading Meditation

Coping With a Chronic Illness

Vestibular Self Portrait The top three grief experiences in order are the death of a child, spouse, and parent. The pain of my husband’s death is part of my DNA. But there is other grief that we encounter. One of them comes with developing and living with a chronic condition. On May 27, 2020, amid…… Continue reading Coping With a Chronic Illness