I Am A Hopeful Sinner

September 29th, 2014
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So early yesterday morning I found myself sitting in church once again mentally going over the week that had just past.

I was happy to be quietly sitting in my pew and even happier that the priest who was saying Mass was someone I enjoy listening to.

As the familiar and comforting celebration of Mass unfolded, I began to think about some of the things that I said or did that I wished I could take back: times when I was impatient, times when I offered my two cents when I should have kept my mouth shut, times when I … Read More

Lessons from the Spin Cycle

September 24th, 2014
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Photo via Pinterest   Whoa Nelly!! I know what this feels like, don’t you? It feels unexpected, awkward, a little uncontrollable and intense. As though at any moment, what you thought was stable becomes unstable. What you thought was predictable become unpredictable. Mood swings, spontaneous crying and having feelings change very quickly. I think of experiencing this mixture of feelings as being in a spin cycle if you will. When you are unsure of what is coming next.  It truly feels this way when grief has you on the run or a life changing trauma has taken your breath away.… Read More

An Amazing Gift To Yourself

September 17th, 2014
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For the past four years, I have been watching a member of my family refuse to forgive someone. Sounds incredible right? How could someone voluntarily lug around that much baggage every day?  How could someone consciously decide, all on their own, every day, that they would rather be angry with someone 24 hours a day, than try to fix the problem by opening up an honest dialogue and talking about it to the other person? How can you constantly refuse to accept the hundreds of apologies that have been offered? I guess it’s too hard.  I guess it’s too painful.  … Read More

9/11: Healing & Resilience

September 11th, 2014
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On the thirteenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, my thoughts today are with the people whose lives changed so tragically and so dramatically when their loved ones died. It may not feel to them as if thirteen years has passed since this horrific event.  It may feel as though their loss happened yesterday.  That’s the trick that grief can sometimes play on us.  For no matter how much time has passed, no matter how much work has been put out to move the healing process forward, the anniversary of losing a loved one is a day filled with powerful conflicting… Read More

Friends Forever: Billy Crystal & Robin Williams

August 27th, 2014
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Comedian Billy Crystal’s tribute to Robin Williams during Monday night’s Emmy Awards was moving because it stripped away the glitter and glitz and glamour of Hollywood and spoke of something essential: the gift of friendship. Crystal talked about what a great friend Robin Williams was to him and to try and imagine the two of them just hanging out together as two down-to-earth dudes was special in itself.  We see comedians and actors performing together all the time and they look like they are enjoying each other but we really don’t know if it’s genuine.  It could be an act.  … Read More

Prescription: Go To The Beach!

August 18th, 2014
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I have always believed that the natural elements of the beach can heal me and help to make me feel whole again. No matter what my age, from childhood to right this minute, the beach is always a comforting place for me to work through my troubles. I have spent countless hours wiggling my feet in the warm and comforting sand, listening to powerful and relaxing sound of the waves crashing on the shore and I always come away feeling renewed.  The beach, almost any beach, is my trusted “go-to” place, my happy place if you will, and the beach… Read More

The Incredible Tina Fey

August 1st, 2014
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Woo! Woo! Readers!! I can see the weekend on the horizon!! And for Friday’s sake, we need a good laugh! Plain ole silly laughter just lightens our burdens and gives us a break from sadness and pain.  Even in the most difficult of times, laughter continually gives me the strength to keep going and hope for better days. I do have a tendency to make jokes about most of the things that happen to me and I think it just helps make me feel that the day will go smoother if I can laugh.  We all are familiar with that… Read More

3 Reasons For An Essential Break

July 18th, 2014
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I’ve been cranky.  I’ve been restless. I need a time out. Don’t send me to a corner.  Instead, please send me to the beach. The beach is my healing place.  My happy place. It’s the place where I fill up my emotional reserves (which are now entering the red warning zone indicating that I am almost out of fuel and will soon be operating on fumes) and also let all of the kinks and stress knots in my body unwind and hopefully disappear. This is my wordy way of telling you that I am going on vacation and intend to… Read More