Working Through Grief

Grief Sucks

April 8th, 2017
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Gonzaga Two

My Dad At A Gonzaga Rally 

Dear Faithful Friends:

Excuse my French, but as the title of this post suggests, grief does suck.

I haven’t been on social media very much lately though it’s not for lack of trying.  Since my Dad’s death in February, I can’t tell you how many times I have tried to sit down and write something but all the words get balled up.

I know I am stating the obvious but it needs to be said.  When you call something what it is, you bring it out into the open.  Maybe it just sits in … Read More

Quiet Help From A Friend

March 24th, 2017
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Life sometimes reminds me of a science experiment. Some days it’s a spontaneous experiment gone bad and then other days it can turn out to be an explosion of joy, as in a science experiment gone fabulous. The science I am reminded of today has to do with the classic law of physics that we all learned in school and that is: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Conversations can sometimes fall into this law of physics, many of them revolving around that push-pull, turning into equal and opposite reactions of a dynamic conversation or they… Read More

Wearing Of The Green

March 17th, 2017
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Me and My Dad Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day Nobody loved St. Patrick’s Day more than my Dad! I know that in the last post I offered to you, I wrote about my Dad’s passing but I couldn’t resist writing about him again because today is his favorite holiday. From the moment he woke up to the moment he went to sleep, my Dad made sure that he celebrated every second of St. Patrick’s Day. He took a lot of pride in his Irish heritage and that meant he wore as much green as he could on Paddy’s Day, he played… Read More

Daddy Grief

March 13th, 2017
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My Dad and I Goofing Around I miss my Dad.  A lot. I miss hearing his voice, talking to him and hanging out with him. I miss helping him with his eye drops, reading the newspaper to him and bringing him his favorite chicken salad sandwiches from Panera. I miss the way he talked like Donald Duck and his funny way of telling a story. His funeral was on March 2 and I am trying hard to figure out how to deal with his absence, the actual physical loss of him. I went to my parents house yesterday and it… Read More

Give Yourself A Break

December 11th, 2016
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Giving is fun. Whether it’s something you meticulously made with your own hands or something you spent a long time searching for, giving to others is a wonderful feeling. I sometimes feel that giving a present to someone is more exciting than receiving. Watching the other person’s reaction while they are opening your gift is part of the fun and contributes to that good feeling of giving and letting them know they are special. During this holiday season, which can easily turn frantic as we get closer to the time of celebration, I think it is also important to give… Read More

Thankful Hearts

November 24th, 2016
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Wherever you happen to be gathering today, may you be with people who have thankful hearts and giving spirits. The diversity of Thanksgiving menus offered today reflects the healing powers of food, love, family and friends gathering with one celebration in mind.  Lasagna, Vietnamese soup or a traditional roasted turkey with all of the imaginable sides.  Today has been set aside on the national calendar to give thanks for the food and other gifts that are served and shared as a sign of gratitude for the many blessings we have received. While I recognize our desire to be thankful today,… Read More

Let’s Rise Up

November 12th, 2016
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  My late husband, Tom O’Toole, as a young boy   Good Morning Friends: So how was your week? I’m not trying to be flip.  I am genuinely concerned. We live in a topsy turvy world and you would have to be stationed in some unbelievably remote part of the globe not to be aware of the election results in this week’s U.S. presidential contest.  Seriously, it has been quite a freaking week and everyone I know (including myself) is still absorbing what happened. On top of the surprising election results, my family received some sad personal news that I … Read More

Simple Moments To Moment

October 27th, 2016
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Dear Friends, I recently found the below inspiration on one of my Instagram accounts and it really jumped off the screen for me: Just for today, keep it simple. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Look at your life for all you have gained rather than lost. Look at your path for everything you have got through rather than everywhere you think you should be. Celebrate rather than criticize. Experience rather than expect. See how that goes. Just for today.                 ~ by S.C. Lourie Keeping things simple is another way to show respect to your resilient body, mind and spirit.… Read More

A Bit of Hairspray Wisdom

October 14th, 2016
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Magical things happen to me in hair salons. My gray hair disappears, splint ends fall to the floor and I love watching clients and hairdressers exchange confidences that make each of them feel a little bit better about what is happening in their lives. This past weekend I experienced a different kind of magic; the magic of connecting and going with the flow of the moment. As I entered my tried and true hair salon, I was looking forward to a much needed hairdo transformation.  It was probably closer to a hair color intervention because the summer sun had bonded… Read More