Yearly Archives:: 2013

Star Night Star Bright

November 21st, 2013
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I am one of those old school people who still have a daily newspapers delivered to my house.  During the work week when I go outside to get the newspaper, it is dark and the moon and the stars are still shining in the sky.
It’s a great time to collect my thoughts for the day.
This morning I took a moment to stand still on the sidewalk, take a deep breath, and say a prayer of gratitude for a new day and whatever it might bring.  As I gazed at the quiet beauty of the moon hanging in the … Read More

Holiday Party Questions

November 20th, 2013
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Hi there!! It’s me again and I am back today with what I hope is timely information to help you deal with the topsy turvy happenings of the holiday season. You will, and probably already have, received invitations to holiday parties and you may or may not be looking forward to going.  If you have recently lost a loved one I am very sorry that this personal tragedy is happening to you.  Socializing while in the throes of grief can be a bit of a high wire act. I say it’s a delicate balance because you don’t want to isolate… Read More

Kris Carr’s Golden Ticket

November 19th, 2013
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I recently wrote about some of the good things I learned about surviving a personal trauma in the ten years after my husband’s death (No Lifeguard On Duty http://crylaughheal.com/no-lifeguard-on-duty/).  After that post was published, many people told me they found it helpful to know how things feel ten years after a loss. No matter how crazy and afraid you feel after a loss, it’s essential to keep trying to find the support you need until you discover a different way to live.  Even though change is the last thing you want to do, change is possible.  It feels as though… Read More

Holiday Mash-Up

November 18th, 2013
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In music, mashups are when a performer or group combines the instrumentals of one song with the vocals of another song and then the mashup, or blending if you will, is played as a new song.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it flops. In retail, this is the time of year for practicing what I think of as a huge marketing mash-up.  Stores no longer wait for one holiday to almost happen and then stock the shelves with the decorations or products for the next holiday.  There is no longer any retail restraint with regard to holidays; it’s just throw… Read More

No Lifeguard On Duty

November 14th, 2013
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If you had told me ten years ago that it would take me this long to navigate my conflicting feelings of loss and truly come to grips with the fact that my husband died, he’s not coming back and I’ll never see him again, I would have thought you were smoking something and totally out there. In the beginning, I was just trying to survive which meant working a full-time job and raising a thirteen-year-old boy by myself.  I honestly didn’t think beyond the day I was in.  That’s all I could manage.  I constantly told myself that other women… Read More

Way To Go

November 8th, 2013
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It’s Fabulous, Fantastic, Friday and I know you are as happy about this as I am! By the end of the work week, everyone needs a nice pat on the back. Try saying one nice thing, one kind thing to someone you know or even a stranger  and see what happens…………… JOY!!!… Read More

With A Little Help From My Friends

November 7th, 2013
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Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends, Mmm, gonna try with a little help from my friends. . .                                         ~ The Beatles Whether it’s alcoholism, gambling, overeating, drug addiction or grief, I believe that others who are traveling the same unpredictable path as ourselves can often offer the greatest amount of inspiration. It may seem slow and incredibly painful but I found that when you sit and share your story with others facing the same issues, there is a sense of relief that you have finally found people who understand the depth of what you are… Read More

Compassionate Care

November 6th, 2013
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I write about the subject of hospice care today because November is National Hospice Care month.  I don’t usually pay attention to the themes of specific months but in this case I saw a tweet about it and wanted to draw attention to the incredible people who do this important work. I have the greatest respect for the people who do hospice work.  The time and endless amounts of energy poured into this work of providing compassionate care to those diagnosed as terminally ill is critical to the patient and the families trying to do their best as a loved… Read More