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

Thirteen Years Later: A Journey Through Grief and Healing

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.

Focusing on What I Can Control: Coping Tools

The last two weeks have been stressful for me personally and in the country. I’m trying to navigate the worsening symptoms of my chronic conditions while also dealing with the results of the elections, both of which are wearing on my nervous system. Changes in the weather, sleep patterns, and visual and auditory overstimulation contribute…… Continue reading Focusing on What I Can Control: Coping Tools

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

Coping Tools for Dealing with Grief and Stress: A Personal Journey

When I get a call at an unexpected time from my daughter, my brain goes to a place where something’s wrong, or someone has died. I know that this is her reaction as well because we have lived through the traumatic sudden death of my husband and her father. Last week, she called me from…… Continue reading Coping Tools for Dealing with Grief and Stress: A Personal Journey

Navigating Grief: Lessons from Road Work

Phoenix, like most cities, seems to be under constant road construction. The other day, I was heading to a meeting and running late when the road narrowed to one lane. Unsure of how far the construction would be, I debated turning off to a side street but continued on the route. Fortunately, when I got…… Continue reading Navigating Grief: Lessons from Road Work

Grief Ghost: Coping With Loss and Memories

Grief Ghost It’s living with the ghost of Christmas Past, for no more memories can be made. Images that appear in your dreams Or your thoughts in the middle of the night As you lie awake, sleep evades you. It comes unbidden when those special days draw near. Wedding anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, death dates, and…… Continue reading Grief Ghost: Coping With Loss and Memories

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

The Memory Keeper

One of the things that makes Mike’s death hard is the lack of people sharing memories about him. The early days were full of shock and extreme grief. Because of the circumstances of his death and an encounter with a former client who made an inappropriate remark, I was cautious with what I shared. My…… Continue reading The Memory Keeper