Living Your Life

Mom is “WOW” Upside Down

May 8th, 2011
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Happy Mother’s Day to my Mom and all the incredible Moms, GrandMoms and other women around the globe who do the most important job in the world!!

Some of you out there may disagree, but I challenge you to find another job that comes close to being as rewarding.

If your Mom is no longer with you, I hope the loving memories you have of her make you smile today.

Being a Mom is the journey of a lifetime.  From the bottom of my heart, I have cherished every minute of being a mother to my son who is now … Read More

Connecting The Grief Dots

May 7th, 2011
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Grief is a lot of work.  I know that sounds ridiculous but it’s true. And some days I just don’t want to deal with it.  Or be reminded of it. Those days would especially include when I have to fill out a government or school form for my son or myself and instead of writing his father’s name, I have to write in “deceased.”  That hurts. Or I get to pick from the selections of my status: single, married, divorced or widowed.  After eight years, you would think I would be used to answering these questions but it still pulls… Read More

The Twin Towers, the Pentagon & Flight 93

May 3rd, 2011
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When President Obama officially announced on television late last night that Osama bin Laden had been killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan, my thoughts went immediately to the relatives and friends of the thousands of people whose lives were lost in the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and Flight 93. For almost ten years, these people have been trying to put the pieces of their shattered lives back together so that they may heal and perhaps build some kind of a future after having their loved ones violently taken from them. I wondered how and what they were feeling now that… Read More

Home Sweet Home — Options For Housing Alternatives

April 23rd, 2011
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For some reason, people think that becoming a widow and moving to a new place to live go hand-in-hand.  I’m not quite sure why this is, but it’s one of the most common questions asked of a newly widowed person.  In fact, someone once joked that maybe real estate agents and funeral directors network off the same list of people. I guess the questions, “When are you moving?” or “When are you selling your house?” are asked so often because people may be nervous about what to say around you so they end up blurting out questions like these.  Or… Read More

Finding Your New Voice

April 17th, 2011
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I’m probably one of the last people to see the Academy-award winning movie, “The King’s Speech,” before it goes to DVD, so please bear with me while I applaud this special film and what I learned from it. This incredible movie tells the true life story of England’s King George VI and his unexpected ascension to the throne; all the while desperately working to overcome a painful and frustrating stutter.  The story works on so many levels it is hard to know where to begin but I think the story itself is so human and would still be powerful even… Read More

Thoughts of Two Special People

April 11th, 2011
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My thoughts today are filled with two special people whom I love very much. One of them is in the hospital and is scheduled to have a surgical procedure today.  I wish I could be with her to hold her hand, tell her how special she is and how much she means to me and so many other people.  My prayers are with her as the doctors do their work to make her healthy again. The other person, my husband, would have turned 80 years old today.  Happy Birthday O!  I know you are  in heaven  and I hope you’re… Read More

To Party Or Not

April 10th, 2011
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This year I have had two large parties at my house…and to my surprise, I have enjoyed myself.  One was for a family member who was celebrating a BIG birthday and the other was on New Year’s Day for my son and my best friends.  This may not sound like a big deal — but it is. With the exception of family events that happened after my husband’s death, I haven’t been ready to celebrate anything or plan for a party that would take place just to have fun.  In order to give a party, you have to be ready… Read More

Look To This Day

April 6th, 2011
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Look To this Day By Kalidasa  Look to this day:  For it is life, the very life of life. In its brief course Lie all the verities and realities of your existence. The bliss of growth, The glory of action, The splendour of achievement Are but experiences of time. For yesterday is but a dream And tomorrow is only a vision; And today well-lived, makes Yesterday a dream of happiness And every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well therefore to this day; Such is the salutation to the ever-new dawn!… Read More

A Pocket of Surprising Memories

March 26th, 2011
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The whole world is watching as the Japanese rebuild their lives with quiet diligence. News reports show incredible pictures of houses ripped from the earth, cars piled on top of each other and even the concrete tsunami walls built for protection have been broken up and easily tossed aside.  And then there is the nuclear issue…The enormity of the human and physical devastation in Japan as a result of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami is difficult to comprehend and just seems endless. But one man in particular stands out for me.  I recently read an interview with this Japanese… Read More