Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
Several weeks ago, I opened the app for our local hospital system to check information about an upcoming appointment. I was surprised to see the “Widowed” box checked on my profile. Although I hadn’t changed my marital status, apparently the system defaulted to it after I canceled all Jim’s appointments and various offices marked him […]
Valentine’s Day 2024 is my first Valentine’s Day in 44 years without my husband. Please do not feel sorry for me. I’ve received unexpected cards, chocolates, and other expressions of love. And I have a dinner date with the cutest, sweetest 6-year-old little man, who looks a lot like his Bop. Jim and I had […]
Are you in the middle of a difficult life situation? Last week, I saw one of my children’s former art teachers. We hadn’t seen each other in years, so took a few minutes to catch up on each other’s lives. This sweet man talked to me about some of his struggles caring for his 96-year-old […]
Several weeks ago, my husband and I attended Italian Renaissance Alive at Biltmore in Asheville, NC. It was a multi-sensory, immersive experience. The main room included smells of the time period and brightly-colored paintings on the walls and floor. Some of the paintings also included motion, which added a new dimension. It was interesting to […]
Some people approach a new year with uncertainty and dread, fearing what is ahead rather than viewing a new year as a blank, white screen, or tablet, on which to craft a fresh story. A new year is refreshing, full of possibilities and hope. You can choose what you will do with the year ahead, […]
Several days ago, I sat in a long drive-thru line for over fifteen minutes after ordering. Horn blasts from the car behind me occurred several times, as if those in front of him could hurry the process. When I finally made it to the window, the eyes of the young attendant glistened with unshed tears […]
The room is dark and silent except for your steady breathing, punctuated by an occasional stop and restart. Death waits, lurking in a shadowy corner. Your leg moves. A nurse attends. Grief engulfs, squeezing our hearts, wrapping tendrils around us like the curtains surrounding your bed. When will your chest fall and not rise? When […]
Ah, spring! Who doesn’t love the vibrant greens, multi-hued blooms, and ever-increasing warmth of spring? Following the drabness and coldness of winter, spring is a gift. Spring is all about renewal, hope, color, forward motion, and promise. Renewal The last few years have felt like a long winter filled with pandemic, civil unrest, and, most […]
Last week, as I prepared a snack basket for a friend’s family to enjoy following a celebration of life, I listened to Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor. It was what happened to be playing on Symphony Hall that day at that time. Although I’d heard the piece before, I suddenly noticed many sections end in […]
For most of us, March marks the return of spring, and with it, new vegetation, multiple shades of green, milder temperatures, and bright blue skies. Yet, March is a month known for its changeability. Sometimes, within just a few hours, spring-like weather morphs into strong, biting winds, severe storms, or a sudden return to frigid […]