Tag: life change

The Gift of Service

I’ve always had a close relationship with my dad.  He was the person that was always there for me.  When Mike died, he flew from Florida to Phoenix the same day, arriving at 11 pm.  He has been the rock that I could always count on for wise advice.  Now, it’s my turn to return…… Continue reading The Gift of Service

Adjusting to What Is

Desolation-How Grief Feels Copyright-Jennifer Mullins Photography I picked up Megan Devine’s book. It’s OK That You’re Not OK, my grief bible last night, which I read when I’m struggling with the fresh grief from my mom’s death and the pain that lives quietly for the most part from the death of my husband ten years…… Continue reading Adjusting to What Is

A Love Letter to My Mom

The last photo I took with my mom was in May 2020. Dear Mom, An empty spot opened in my heart when you died on January 23, 2022, leaving a deep sense of loneliness that cannot be filled, only lived with.  There will never be anyone like you again.  You knew me before the world…… Continue reading A Love Letter to My Mom

The Relief of Shared Grief

Copyright Jennifer Mullins Finding people walking through grief, who are willing to be honest about their pain, can be a source of comfort. I had this experience yesterday. Every day since my mom died, I woke up feeling sad. I had a meeting to go to and cried on my drive there. Once I arrived,…… Continue reading The Relief of Shared Grief

Back to Work

I started back to work on January 31st, the first time since my mom died a week ago, though it seems like a year. That’s what time is like when someone dies. Everyone goes on about their lives as if nothing has happened when your world has changed forever. I knew that returning to tutoring…… Continue reading Back to Work

The Grief Roller Coaster

Copyright Jennifer Mullins One of the hardest things about grief is its unpredictable nature.  Today I have felt every emotion: deep sadness, joy, numbness, and anger.  Although everyone likes to refer to Elizbeth Kubler Ross’s stages of grieving, they were meant for people dying, not for those left behind.  Grief is not linear, where you…… Continue reading The Grief Roller Coaster

Ambiguous Loss

Copyright Jennifer Mullins Do you ever wake up with a sadness you can’t quite name? It may be from a dream about a loved one who is now dead. Or it may have to do with something that is going on in your life now. When it happens to me, I usually can shake it…… Continue reading Ambiguous Loss

Christmas Changes Through the Years

Copyright Jennifer Mullins Christmas is a continually revolving season of feelings, depending on where we are on our journey.         I remember the magical feeling as a child of being at the top of our stairs, waiting to open our presents. Since the tree was at the bottom of the stairs, my parents put up…… Continue reading Christmas Changes Through the Years

Cherishing Life’s Moments: Navigating Family and Fragility

Copyright Jennifer Mullins I wish I could remember who said this on a podcast related to death. The gist was that some people’s lives are short stories while others are epic novels. There is no guarantee of how long we live. However, we get to choose how we write and rewrite the story throughout our…… Continue reading Cherishing Life’s Moments: Navigating Family and Fragility