I opened the door on the second knock and extended a practiced, firm handshake. My hair was pulled back plainly, clothes were modest, and my face was void of both makeup and smiles. I was ready. “Keith Allen, KO Insulation” ...
The Unpredictability of Summer GriefA personal reflection on navigating loss in the season of light Summer used to be one of my favorite times of year. I’d look forward to the longer days, the smell of backyard grilling, and the ...
On a day like today, when I was 10 years old, I might have been lying on my bedroom floor, listening to the radio. "Neverending Story" by Limahl might have been playing, and the breeze might have been causing my ...
When I sat down with the salesman, my eyes landed on a bobblehead Spider-Man sitting next to his computer monitor. I’d spent the last hour cleaning out Alice, crying, making fun of myself for crying while sending videos to my ...
...decisions. I got entirely too used to Bret making most of the decisions for us, or at least very heavily weighing in when I had decisions to make for myself. It was no secret that he called all the shots. ...
Hot take incoming: Not long after Bret died, I became aware of something that gave me some pretty conflicted feelings. I'm still not sure how to feel about it, even seven+ years later. Bret had been a well-known guy with ...
During our 24 years of marriage, I never negotiated with the tradespeople who came to our house – the electricians, plumbers, septic guys, realtors. It was my husband, Jay, who spoke to them. I was polite, smiled, shook hands, signed ...
I remember that day in much more detail than I wish I could. Many folks who've gone through the same or similar traumas have often mentioned that they don't remember much about it; sadly, I remember way too much. I ...
Even though the term "Adrenal Fatigue" isn't a recognized medical term, I've known far too many people who are plagued by adrenal issues. I am amongst those people. While I have never had a concrete diagnosis, my medical care provider ...
My father’s favorite canned advice, whenever he found me floundering in my academics (which was often) – was “Why don’t you just be a golfer. Women can make good money that way.” I’d no interest in golfing, nor had I ...