Philip Seymour Hoffman

February 4th, 2014
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I was getting ready for work yesterday morning when I turned on the radio which was tuned to NPR.  The station was airing an interview it did with the incredibly talented and award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman when he was appearing on Broadway in 2012 as Willy Loman in a revival of the classic play, “Death of A Salesman.”
It was strange to hear Hoffman’s voice on the radio knowing that friends had found him Sunday in his New York apartment sadly and tragically dead of an apparent drug overdose at the young age of 46.
I stopped and listened … Read More

Vulnerability

January 31st, 2014
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Something To Think About. . . . . “Vulnerability is not about winning, and it’s not about losing. It’s about having the courage to show up and be seen.”                                            ~ Brene Brown… Read More

Pulling Together

January 29th, 2014
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I began writing Cry Laugh Heal in December 2010 to start an online discussion about grief and resilience, in particular to talk about the many ways we process it and how we can arrive at the realization that we can find strength and a different kind of future through our pain. My husband died in 2003 and I found that grief was not a topic most people wanted to talk about.  What a surprise right?  Of course, it was a subject I could go on and on about but in general it really makes people feel very uncomfortable and they… Read More

A New York Lesson

January 28th, 2014
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To have an uninterrupted block of time in which to read is to me a pure, unadulterated luxury. Don’t you just love that word luxury?  It just rolls off your tongue and sounds a bit sinful. Reading for pleasure is healing and similar to putting your foot on the brake of life, stopping your normal crunched up, sometimes scattered daily routine, and allowing your mind to travel elsewhere.  When I find a book that has a compelling story line I am mentally gone and immersed in the characters and their lives and lose all track of the passage of time. … Read More

When In Doubt

January 20th, 2014
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If you have ever have doubts about talking to someone you hardly know about a recent loss in their life, please think twice about ignoring the subject. You may think you are doing the person a favor by not mentioning their loss or the name of the loved one that died, but it doesn’t really work that way. Acknowledging is important and helpful to you, and more importantly, to the person experiencing the loss.  It’s extending sympathy or compassion and even though it may be hard to do, it’s something that needs to be done.  So take a deep breath,… Read More

Downton Abbey

January 19th, 2014
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Today I join millions of Downton Abbey fans who can’t wait to watch a new episode tonight. I am arriving at the Downton Abbey party very late, for I watched my very first episode last Sunday at the home of some great friends who have watched the popular series from the beginning.  This was very helpful to me because they were able to tell me exactly what was happening, who the characters were in relation to each other and the intricate backstory of different storylines. I’m not sure why I didn’t embrace this amazing award-winning series earlier.  I think I… Read More

The Notebook

January 15th, 2014
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I never know when I am going to read or hear something that I might want to use in writing a future blog post so I try to always carry a small notebook with me.  On the times that I have forgotten my notebook, I have written notes on the back of envelopes, cocktail napkins and business cards which then creates this messy pile of stray notes. For now, the small spiral notebook I am using is almost full and it caused me recently to flip through the worn pages to check and see if I had missed anything that… Read More

Falling Can Make You Stronger

January 9th, 2014
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One of my sisters sent me the video posted below that’s about Moms and the endless, loving support they give their children.  In the case of this video, it shows Moms and their budding athletes in the beginning stages of learning their sports skills and then the years of repetition, the unending practice, practice, practice performed by the children until they reach the ultimate competition of the Olympics. It’s a wonderful video, tracing the path of infants and babies falling, getting back up, trying again and again, finally learning to ice skate, snowboard and ski so that they may perform … Read More

Happy New 2014!

January 1st, 2014
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As I awake to the beginnings of a new day and a new year, I feel the air is crackling with the sense of possibilities. Let us embrace the unknown and untried. Let us go forward, secure in the knowledge that we are resilient. We can gain strength from our pain and, in turn, we will help others in their journey. For we are truly better together!  … Read More