I’ve had hearbreak in my life…times when I thought that the pain might have me go mad. Literally. If not mad, then I might die…or perhaps it was more that I just hoped to die…to escape the pain, to not have to live with the heartache. It was brutally hard to “hold the space for …
Sitting in the Dark
Compassion is knowing your darkness well enough that you can sit in the dark with others. Pema Chodron I thought faith would say, “I’ll take away the pain and discomfort”, but what it ended up saying is, “I’ll sit with you in it”. And I never thought until I found it, that it would be …
Duh…of course it hurts!
Science has now proven that which those with broken hearts have always known…love hurts. Seriously, it really hurts. A body aches in pain when a loved one goes away for good. Not just a perception, a reality. Watch: sitellite/util/snippets (code=89bde071899e04b271d21720df3c8897)
Rubber Duckie Moments
There’s something about a bright yellow rubber duck that makes me smile. And it’s not only me, either. Rubber duckies are known the world over for creating grins. It may have started for many of us as small children, with getting to know one of our television friends, Ernie. I had a toddler crush on …
Turning a corner to hope
I like the hope that today brings, even though I don’t so much like today for what it is. Let me explain. I love sunshine. It’s always been important for me to have big bright windows in my home. No heavy curtains for me…let the sun shine in! I love going for walks in the …
Getting Through IT
The answer to, “I have no idea how I am going to get through this” is: You allow yourself to sob, to heave, to feel as if your heart has a boulder crashing through it. You sit with your father. You listen to his sorrow. YOu get help from your friends. And you notice that …
An Elephant’s Pregnancy? Piece of cake!
Elephants have a gestation of 22 months. That’s a long time to be pregnant…can you imagine the swollen ankles and trips up at night to pee for months and months on end for the average pachyderm? But the result is so worth the wait. Today my sister in law’s “pregnancy” ended—gestation of 64 months…over 5 …
On the other side…
…of June 18th. Made it. Another anniversary of the ones I’ve loved and lost, remembered, and mourned has passed. The days leading up to the 18th have an increasing sense of dread, as the memories rise closer to the surface than they are at other times of the year. It’s a bit of a relief to …
I’ve got sunshine…
…on a cloudy day. A dear friend remembers my loss years later with daisies that show up at my door annually. Bright, pure, innocent daisies that tell me she understands my grief that lingers years later. Beautiful, alive daisies that tells me she cares, and remembers. Daisies that have showed up at my door during …
Secondary pain after secondary loss
Pain is a funny thing. It can be hidden and sneak up and catch a person unawware. Years ago, back when I was young and foolish, I went to bed really really late one night…and had to get up really early for work. The night was going to be short…almost more of a nap than …