One Thankful Chick

November 27th, 2014
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Giving Thanks
When I sit down today to share Thanksgiving dinner with different generations of my family, I will be mindful of the many blessings I have received this year, blessings that have helped me find a healing path and blessings that definitely make me one thankful chick.

In turn, I hope your blessings this Thanksgiving are also bountiful as you spend time relaxing and having fun with your loved ones.

And while blessings are the focus of today’s holiday, I am still one of those people imagining a chair at the Thanksgiving table wishing a deceased loved one might be sitting … Read More

My Community My Peeps

November 21st, 2014
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One of the most important things you can have when you are grieving is a community of support. We all need, and I hope you have, a group of people who offer comfort and understanding through thick and thin.  They care enough about you to know when you need the space for solitude,  when you need a shoulder to cry on and when you need a hug. They also know when you need a laugh and some good ole retail therapy.  Our human connections give us emotional strength and can help to renew us in times of pain and vulnerability.… Read More

Hope For The Holidays

November 19th, 2014
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These are challenging times that we live in and for those who are in the midst of grief, the arrival of the holidays can make life a lot more challenging. Thanksgiving is next week and decorations and other holiday reminders are already popping up everywhere.  You may already be dreading this time of year because you know the holidays can be an emotional minefield.  Reminders of your loved one can sometimes present themselves when you least expect it. It can be a song, a smell, the house where you are celebrating or even a story that someone may tell.  It… Read More

She’s Come Undone — Fantastic Fiction

November 17th, 2014
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I am always on the lookout for books about how people deal with adversity and in “She’s Come Undone,” the incredible writer Wally Lamb introduces readers to a resilient and unforgettable character by the name of Dolores Price. This is one of those books that I have heard friends enthusiastically talk about for a long time and I have always intended to read it.  Well, I finally took the time to read it for myself and “She’s Come Undone” is truly a great read! This is a story of love and hope and the importance of friendship in dealing with… Read More

A Meaningful Monday

November 10th, 2014
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Hey there Resilient Readers! It’s Monday! While I too am saying “Uggg!”, I also am reminding myself that today is not a day to be hurried along just because it’s a Monday. Mondays always painfully remind me that the weekend has ended, but Monday can be a signal that a new week is at hand and the time is now. No day of the week can be taken for granted for we have no idea what life holds for us. The circumstances of our lives may not be what we thought they would be at this point.  You might have… Read More

A Poem Of Comfort

October 27th, 2014
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Today I send heartfelt prayers to a wonderful woman and mother of three children who has been a close friend of my family’s for decades and is tragically in the process of saying good-bye to her beloved husband currently being taken care of in an ICU unit of a local hospital. I know that words cannot take away her deep pain but I send them in hopes that they may bring some small measure of comfort.  Perhaps there is someone in your life who is also bearing a burden of sorrow and is in need of words that lets them… Read More

A Fabulous Friday Mindset

October 17th, 2014
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By the time Friday arrives on my doorstep, I am usually ready to attack a pint of ice cream, preferably Ben & Jerry’s chocolate chip cookie dough. I sometimes allow myself this indulgence because after all it’s Friday and I’m using the ice cream as a way of patting myself on the back for having survived the turmoil of another work week.  I wouldn’t say that eating a pint of ice cream is healing in the classic sense, but it certainly heals my soul at a time when I need it. But also know it’s not good for me.  That… Read More

Your Truck Is Now My Truck

October 15th, 2014
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I admit up front that I’m arriving late to the party that has been going on ever since the release of American country singer Lee Brice’s memorable hit song, “I Drive Your Truck.” It’s hard to believe but I just recently discovered this poignant and healing song that was awarded Song of the Year honors at the 47th annual Country Music Association Awards, as well as Song of the Year at the 49th annual Academy of Country Music Awards was released in 2012.  I don’t know what I was doing at the time this song hit the airwaves but I… Read More

Grief in ShondaLand

October 10th, 2014
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Every week when I join fellow Gladiators to tune in to Scandal, ABC’s groundbreaking hit series created by the multi-talented award-winning writer Shonda Rhimes, I anticipate seeing fast-paced cutting edge programming about political corruption, espionage, murder, all kinds of sexual affairs and even some weird and bloody torture. It all feels very forbidden and unpredictable which is what I think makes Scandal such great television. And if the topics above aren’t enough to keep us guessing about the fate of Scandal’s characters, we can now add grief to the list of forbidden subjects that Scandal masterfully airs. It is surprising… Read More