Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
Any time you have a dramatic life change, if you are willing, you learn from the experience. The death of a loved one presents that opportunity. Following are reflections on what I’ve learned in the last year and two months: Expect Times of Loneliness Recently, I woke up and smelled coffee brewing. Then, I realized […]
Christmas brings to mind many things: sights, sounds, smells, feelings, and memories. For some reason, this year, my memories hark back to childhood. I remember looking at the myriad delights in the hardback Bennett Bros. catalog toy section and dogearing pages, scratchy petticoats under velvet dresses, squinting into the overly-bright headlight attachment on Daddy’s movie […]
Since last week, a deeper level of grief has been my unwanted companion. Learning of the death of a childhood friend, who battled relentless cancer for many years, sparked deeper grief that seemed to multiply and grow. Like an invading vine that creeps unhindered, grief covered me with its unwanted presence, sending my mind spiraling […]
For the last several weeks, I’ve been going through boxes long buried in our garage and Jim’s home office. Sifting through the detritus of the life of a loved one, and the places that life intersects with yours, is a bittersweet experience. Scenes appear. Conversations float. Memories take on a life of their own. Some […]
Last week, I did a major clean out of three closets. As I worked, I was surprised to discover clothes in a little-used closet that dated back to my college years, almost five decades ago! Although I’m still not finished, I am happy with my progress. Cleaning out isn’t limited to clothing or household items. […]
Within the next few weeks, a significant life chapter closes for me. Many of you have followed my chronicles of cleaning out the house my father built in 1966 for my grandparents and aunts and preparing it for sale. Last week, the house went on the market. Less than 24 hours later, it was under […]
What brings you joy at Christmas? Is it time with family, baking, singing, volunteering your time and talents? Christmas is a time for celebration, rejoicing, and counting blessings, but it’s also a time to brighten the lives of others, and give as your heart prompts. Here are a few of my favorite things at Christmas: […]
This week marks 30 years since my father died. When you have a good Daddy, thirty years is a long time to live without him. But intertwined in missing him are the memories of his hugs, with a jiggly squeeze at the end, the sight of his dimples when he told tall tales, his love, […]
2020 This week marks the end of a long chapter of my life as I finalize the sale of my childhood home. My father built the house in 1951 and it has remained in the family for almost 70 years. As I write this, I struggle to sort my emotions and thoughts. Closing a life […]
At times, processing items from my childhood home has been like falling into a time machine and stepping out decades ago. Finding tiny plastic dishes and pots spun me back to a time when I was a preschooler and Daddy would come home for lunch and visit me in the playhouse he built for me. […]