One of the scariest parts of grief for me has been the overwhelming vulnerability. When my husband first passed away, it was like my body was frozen in time: my emotions, my tears, and my heart were just numb. ...
People tell me you are so strong, I don't know how you do it. My response to them is I didn't have a choice. When someone you love more than life itself dies, no one gives you the choice to ...
Something the journey of widowhood brings up is uncertainty, I questioned things like my future, where to go from there, choices to make and even my own abilities. Along with my uncertainty came the fear. Fear and uncertainty are very ...
It's no secret to anyone that 2020 has brought on more worldly struggles than we would care to live through. A common theme of emotions that are brought on by each one of these "catastrophes" are sadness, anger, depression, loneliness, ...
Imagining the unimaginable Music has always been important in my life. Certain kinds of music. Smooth jazz, jazz standards, music with Caribbean/African rhythms, Classical music and Christian worship music. My tastes are as eclectic as my taste in colors and ...
A previous blog described how one of my former students gifted me with a selection of her homemade jams. What I left out of the story was my initial reaction to the package: I couldn’t open it. I had looked ...
"I'm sure things will get easier after this first year." I'll take "Phrases that Aren't Helpful" for $1,000, Alex. When my husband died, I suddenly became surrounded by people who thought they knew all there was to know about navigating ...
One of my favourite inspirational speakers is a child psychologist named Dr. Jody Carrington. She speaks of the importance to connect to our community of friends and family. We are wired to do hard things, but those hard things are ...
I’m a hugger. A cuddler. A squeezer. Touching and affection are powerfully important elements that keep me happy, sane, and functioning. I know I’m not alone in this. Quarantining is wreaking havoc with the psyches of many of us who ...
Last week, a former student of mine messaged me from across the country and asked how I was doing. AND, she wanted to send me some of her homemade jam (or marmalade--she’s going to surprise me). How am I doing? ...