Tag: bittersweet life

Life Preservers

Grief is like being set adrift in a raging sea where I struggle to keep my head above water. I’m always looking for that life preserver to keep me from sinking. For me, that comes in books about grief by people who have lived that experience. Some are written by counselors, while others are memoirs.…… Continue reading Life Preservers

Ghosts of Memories

Grandpa and Mike Ghosts are not scary specters but the presence of those we love who are no longer with us. I could feel them when I sat on the screened-in porch of the house I grew up in. The lower three sides were red brick, with the upper part screened in. During the time…… Continue reading Ghosts of Memories

Secondary Losses

Grief is complicated because it is not only the death of the person you love but also the secondary losses that come with death. Nothing prepares you for the excruciating pain that accompanies death. However, it’s the unexpected secondary losses that nobody really talks about. They include changes to finances, friendships, family relationships, identity, and…… Continue reading Secondary Losses

I’m Thinking…

A Moment of Joy From the Spring, 2022 I bought “Writing Down the Bones Deck” cards by Natalie Goldberg so I would have writing prompts when needed. Writing is a therapeutic way to express my feelings, especially when they are overwhelming. So this is the first prompt. What I’m thinking of is that it’s a…… Continue reading I’m Thinking…

Grief Landscape

One of the prompts that I had in Writing You Grief was to write how your landscape had changed. When I was a child, I would watch scary movies that always seemed to have quicksand in them. I was always terrified of falling into quicksand, though I didn’t live in an area where there was…… Continue reading Grief Landscape

Because You Loved Me

My parents and husband are the three most influential people who shaped the woman I am today. Each of them lives on in me today as I wander the world without them. So I chose to write about how each of them continues to shine through the person I am today. Mom, the world can…… Continue reading Because You Loved Me

I Remember…

Some of the prompts I’ve had in “Writing Your Grief” have been challenging. This one was to pick a simple object and let your mind run with it. The first problem was picking an article. There were suggestions, but none of them resonated with me. For several days, I would look at the prompt, then…… Continue reading I Remember…

How My Heart Is

“The prompt from””Writing Your Grief” is to write about the condition of my heart. I sat with it for a few days, trying to get a sense of where I am right now. The first image that came to me was the desert. “The prompt from “Writing Your Grief” is to write about the condition…… Continue reading How My Heart Is

Smoldering Ache of Loss

Smoldering means smoke with no flames.  Flames are the roar of death, either sudden or expected.  Both hurt.  The smoke is the pain left behind, filling my lungs until I can barely breathe.  Mike’s sudden death smoldered in my mind and heart for years as I learned to live without him.  After the first two…… Continue reading Smoldering Ache of Loss

Found Poetry

Found poetry is picking an article or book and highlighting the words that speak to you and your story. I found inspiration from a New York Times article about Afghan women college students brought to this country to continue their college studies for the next two years. They have lost so much and dropped into…… Continue reading Found Poetry