Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
This time last year, Jim and I attended a birthday party for our youngest grandson. We laughed, listened to children scream as they came down the water slide, sang, and enjoyed every moment. Two days later, we drove to Charlotte and boarded a plane, bound for a cruise, with ports of call in Italy, Turkey, […]
This week our area of the country is expected to reach record-breaking high temperatures. People respond differently to intense heat. Some stay inside. Others spend the day in the pool or at the lake. But for those with outdoor jobs, there is no escape. Likewise, when life situations cause you to experience trial by fire, […]
Fillers. All of us use them when speaking. Yours might be “um,” “you know,” or “right.” My four-year-old grandson’s conversation filler is “And guess what.” Although he invites you to guess, he leaves no room for you to speak, plowing forward with his next thought— “And guess what, I have a loose tooth. And guess […]
Last week, I had several nights of dreams about Jim. As dreams often are, they were jumbled, confusing, and somewhat nonsensical. In part of the dream, Jim was alive, but later not. We were conversing, yet he said he couldn’t hear me when I asked if he could. Waking from those types of dreams leaves […]
“Comfort” and “Joy,” words we often associate with Christmas. But can comfort and joy coexist with loss and grief? Yes, both comfort and joy are sustaining me in this season of my life. Following are among my sources of comfort and joy: Grandchildren My precious grandchildren provide so much comfort and joy during these days […]
Although we usually associate loss with death, loss comes in many forms. Perhaps your loss is related to a broken relationship, a health situation, a life change, or some other challenge. No matter how loss comes, working through it takes time. Following are some tips to help you successfully navigate loss: Grieve Your Loss Sometimes […]
Will this be a difficult Christmas for you? Amid all the activities and festivities, is your heart breaking as you miss the presence of a loved one? Loss comes in many different forms and the associated grief manifests differently for each of us. Your grief may be new or surface afresh after many years. I […]
Last week, a dear friend encountered a monumental life pause when she found her husband on the floor, unresponsive. Three days later, she released him to heaven. We all experience times when life takes a sudden twist that slams us into a “road closed” sign and halts forward motion. Although perhaps not as unexpected and […]