Posts Tagged: loss

Writing Through Your Emotions

January 25th, 2013
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To me, processing or working through difficult emotions such as grief, anger, frustration and confusion, is in a sense, breaking down the walls of why I feel a certain way.  Once I think I have figured out a pretty good reason why I think this is happening, I try to either get rid of as much of the feeling as I can or I try to readjust or “rebuild” my way of looking at the situation.
During the “figuring out” stage (which can be hours or months), my mind is usually a jumble of thoughts and emotions.  I may be … Read More

I Think I Can

January 18th, 2013
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Happy Friday Everyone!! It feels good to reach the end of a work week, especially when we have a three day week-end in front of us.  Most of us will not have to go to work on Monday since it is Inauguration Day, the day when President Obama is sworn into his second term in the White House. Whether you agree with President Obama’s politics or not, I think everyone would agree that it takes courage and perseverence to have a dream and then set goals necessary to try and make that dream happen. Big dreams or small dreams, I… Read More

Happy New 2013!!

January 1st, 2013
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Happy New Year to you and yours! I hope you are not feeling too hung over today from the fun you had last night and may your first day of the new year be a harmonious one. My New Year’s Eve last night was a low key one for me: an early dinner with family and then home to try and stay awake to watch the ball drop in New York’s Times Square.  I ended up falling asleep on the family room couch way before midnight (no surprise there) but then woke up at midnight because the neighbors were setting… Read More

Newtown, Connecticut

December 15th, 2012
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Murdering a child is an unspeakable act. Yesterday’s horrific tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT., which involved the shooting of 27 people, including 20 young children, leaves us asking questions about our culture and praying for the parents and the community at large. As a parent myself, I try to place myself in their situation, but I cannot begin to fathom the depth of pain and shock those parents are experiencing.  My heart goes out them and I wish we could take it all away. We must talk openly about this incident, as hard as it is,… Read More

Melissa’s Story

December 4th, 2012
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Melissa Betrand Knights (baseball cap) with her children After a loved one dies, we try to find ways to stay connected to them even though they are no longer physically with us. Our memories of being with that person, or of just the person by themselves, is a strong bond that can never be broken.  Sometimes we save a piece of clothing they wore or some everyday item that brings great meaning to us.  Being in a particular place, smelling a scent or hearing a song can bring those strong memories back to us without any notice but sometimes that… Read More

Holiday Survival Tips

November 27th, 2012
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Finding Inner Peace During the Holiday Season Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hanukkah, the holiday season is filled with lots of conflicting memories and overwhelming expectations. Let’s be real: There is no such thing as a perfect holiday. There is only the holiday that you create yourself and celebrate, hopefully with people you care about and people who also care about you. The size of the decorations, the cost of the decorations, the number of parties, the quantity of food and alcohol and the amount of presents has nothing to do with the happiness you may or may not feel… Read More

Your Digital Legacy

November 20th, 2012
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Every day, several times a day, you electronically email or text someone, update your Facebook status, Tweet, take a picture on your phone or record a moment from your life which you want to save and remember. Just as the internet opened up a whole new world of information sharing in a way no one could have ever foreseen, these electronic tools such as iPhones, computers and other gadgets strive to further break down the walls of communication and help us share everything in a way that wasn’t possible even five years ago. But with these communication opportunities comes a… Read More

Fostering Resilience

November 15th, 2012
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“Nothing can make up for the absence of someone whom we love, and it would be wrong to try to find a substitute. . . That sounds very hard at first, but at the same time it is a great consolation. For the gap, as long as it remains unfilled, preserves the bond between us. It is nonsense to say that God fills the gap: he doesn’t fill it, but on the contrary, he keeps it empty and so helps us to keep alive our former communion with each other, even at the cost of pain. The dearer and richer… Read More

God Bless The Child

July 10th, 2012
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Children are not small adults who can basically raise themselves.  Children can be resilient but only to a point. Being the oldest of six children, having 35 first cousins and also being a mother has taught me that children are much smarter than we ever give them credit for, but that doesn’t mean that they understand all that is happening to them in their homes, schools or in the world at large. Their bodies, brains and emotions are still developing and they need all the love and guidance we can give them. I am a big believer in honesty when… Read More