Posts Tagged: emotions

Torch By Cheryl Strayed

February 20th, 2015
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As soon as I finished reading Wild, Cheryl Strayed’s fantastic New York Times best-selling memoir (http://crylaughheal.com/wild-by-cheryl-strayed/), I wanted to read more of Stayed’s work.

I enjoyed seeing Wild the movie and thought it should have received more attention in terms of nominations but what I really wanted was to read more of Strayed’s honest and direct thoughts about the gritty aspects of life and loss, what happens to us through our friendships and who and how we love.

I wanted to read more of the her words, and the way she chooses to put them together.  I … Read More

A Stranger’s Human Thoughts

February 9th, 2015
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You never know what you are going to hear when you are getting your hair done. I was going about my usual weekend routine when a man reminded me that we as humans have more in common than we acknowledge.  Each of us are in different places and different phases, but most of us are trying to make sense of our lives, past and present, and each of us has something we are trying to work out and heal within ourselves. Grief, for all of its raw pain and turmoil, does teach us things about life.  I don’t mean for… Read More

Comforting My Peeps

February 5th, 2015
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“We are each other’s harvest; We are each other’s business: we are each other’s magnitude and bond.” ~ Gwendolyn Brooks  Care giving is on my mind these days as my siblings and I offer additional support to our parents. Giving care to those who are ill, to those who are babies, to those who are elderly and to those who are recuperating is one of the most selfless and loving acts a person can do for another.  Yet it can also be challenging for you, as the caregiver, are balancing so many mental and physical needs. The obvious ones are… Read More

Hey There Sleepyhead

January 21st, 2015
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My siblings and I are caregivers and since the weekend we have stepped up our efforts to support our elderly parents. Without going into a lot of detail for privacy reasons, it was my turn to spend the night in the hospital this past Sunday night.  I have done this before but it has been a long time and I had forgotten the impact of the variety of noises that can keep you awake: the machines, the cleaning staff, the nurses, and the constant switching on and off of lights.  This is not a criticism of the hospital; they have… Read More

A Birthday Reveal

January 9th, 2015
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I’ve had 10 birthdays since my husband died and yesterday was the first birthday I celebrated when I didn’t think of him once during the day. I am not telling you this to sound sad or to express joy.  No way. I write of this today to say it’s confusing.  I never thought it would happen.  I’m not sure what it means, if it means anything.  I didn’t even realize it happened until the end of the day when I was getting ready to go to sleep. I still miss him dearly but I guess I am also reporting in… Read More

Resisting The Reaction

January 7th, 2015
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“Mom. You don’t have to react to everything.” These pearls of incredible wisdom came out of the mouth of my son when he was very young, maybe ten or eleven years old.  We were in the car driving to some sports activity and I was trying to squeeze in an errand or two before practice started.  The tight schedule led me to comment (read rant) about the lack of driving skills of those sharing the road with me and a few other hot buttons issues that we were talking about while I was driving. “Mom.  You don’t have to react… Read More

Helping Teenagers With Grief

December 19th, 2014
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We are deep into the season of celebrating the holidays and messages of merriness are everywhere. Photo Courtesy of Huffington Post But what happens to teenagers when they are trying to cope with school and social pressures and then the parent of one of their friends dies? Or someone in their family dies? Adults are busy tending to shopping, decorating, cooking and organizing so it could be fairly easy to miss that the teenagers in your life might be having some difficulties at this time of year.  Are they spending a little bit more time by themselves or are they… Read More

Changing Up Holiday Rituals

November 24th, 2014
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My parents, some of my siblings and some of my in-laws flew to Ireland this past Saturday and will be spending Thanksgiving this year in different  country. It should fun and interesting and certainly different for them as well as the rest of my family for now we are changing up the places where we will go to celebrate Thanksgiving this year and who we will have a chance to see on the day.  I must say that given the fact that we are a large boisterous family, most of us do try to stay flexible about the different ways… 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