Cry Laugh Heal

Step By Baby Step

November 7th, 2011
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When life deals you a blow, your first reaction is to withdraw and protect yourself.  You want to crawl under the covers, lock the doors and wait for the bad stuff to go away.

But guess what?  In the long run, that doesn’t work.  Denial usually makes a situation a whole helluva lot worse.

There are lots of theories about why things get worse when they are ignored, but I think it happens because when you don’t pay attention to your thoughts and feelings they build up like a pressure cooker and at some point, that ole pot is going … Read More

Workshop For Grieving Teens — Friday, Nov. 14

November 3rd, 2011
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One in nine Americans has experienced the death of a parent before the age of 20, according to the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing in Washington, DC. The first time I read that statistic, it made me pause.  I thought about what that number meant; the human consequences of one in nine. That’s a lot of children having their households turned upside down at a time when they need lots of love and stability.  Being a teenager is tumultuous enough.  Imagine the range of conflicting emotions the death of a parent, relative or close friend brings to them.  It’s… Read More

October Snowfall in NYC

November 1st, 2011
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This past weekend I visited some people I love, in a city I love, even though the weather forecasters were predicting snowfall in October.  Despite the drumbeat of weather predictions, I didn’t believe it would actually happen.  I thought it might be cold enough to snow but I never thought it would actually stick to the streets and accumulate. Obviously, I was wrong.  By Sunday morning, CNN said New York City’s Central Park received 2.9 inches of snow and thousands of dollars in tree damage. Saturday morning, on the way to New York, it was heavy pounding rain.  Thank goodness… Read More

Laughing Enriches Your Life

October 28th, 2011
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Laughing can make you relax and breathe. It’s really true, according to The Washington Post story below.   When times are tough, a sense of humor can help us cope.  I think it always makes you feel better if you can make fun of the person who is stressing you out or make a joke about the awful situation you’re in! KHAM/Reuters Laughing may help ease blood pressure, boost mood and enrich health in other ways By Carolyn Butler, Published: October 24 The Washington Post Whenever I took a tumble or scraped my knee as a child, my mother typically assessed… Read More

Maya Angelou

October 27th, 2011
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Talk about rebuilding your life and living courageously.  Maya Angelou is truly an inspiring woman.  Enjoy this Washington Post interview with her: Marvin Joseph/WASHINGTON POST Celebrated poet Maya Angelou speaks about a life well and creatively lived By Laura Hambleton, Published: October 24 The Washington Post Poet, writer, civil rights activist, professor, filmmaker, dramatist, singer, Grammy Award winner: Maya Angelou, 83, has also been called the nation’s premier memoirist. She was in Washington last week speaking about her long, rich life. Having come to prominence in 1970 with the publication of her acclaimed first memoir, “I Know Why the Caged… Read More

Staying Healthy

October 26th, 2011
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I don’t think Halloween is considered the beginning of the holiday season, but in an unofficial way it’s the start of that time of the year when fattening goodies seem to be everywhere.  It’s a constant struggle, and for me, I really have to mentally up the ante against gaining weight and remind myself that it may taste good now but it will take a lot longer to work it off. Halloween is all about the candy and it seems to be everywhere: the grocery store, CVS, offices and even banks — which never give out anything for free.  At… Read More

A Sweet Child!

October 21st, 2011
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Happy Friday Everyone!  I posted this cute little bit about a boy and his Dad just because it is so sweet. After a rough week out there in Adult Land, I needed something simple and straightforward. Have a great weekend!!  Everyone needs recognition for his accomplishments, but few people make the need known quite as clearly as the little boy  who said to his father: “Let’s play darts.  I’ll throw and you say ‘Wonderful!'” –From The Best of Bits & Pieces… Read More

Read All About It

October 19th, 2011
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A friend called me the other evening to talk about the obituary of a mutual friend recently published in a national newspaper.  He said he and others were beside themselves because the obituary didn’t do a very good job of capturing what the guy was really about.  To him, it seemed rather flat and cold and the very thought of it made him do a slow burn. I knew exactly how he felt because I have been there.  I had my own issues with my husband’s obituary.  Maybe this annoyance with the lack of important details in obituaries is an… Read More

Healing Help

October 17th, 2011
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  Photo credit: Samantha Kira Harding   When you are in a place where you are searching to rebuild your life after the loss of a loved one and trying to find “a new normal” for yourself and your children, recognizing, addressing and expressing the strong emotions associated with grief can be helpful in getting you to a heal place. Moving forward takes time.  Unfortunately, there is no set schedule for when you are considered to be officially “healed.”  It would be comforting to be able to predict exactly how long it will take for you to deal with your… Read More