Posts Tagged: loss

An Irish Sense of Humor

March 17th, 2015
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I love a holiday just as much as anyone else but to me St. Patrick’s Day is not just a day to “green up” and drink a lot of booze. It’s a whole lot more.

It’s also a day to celebrate my Irish heritage and the unique way the Irish laugh at life.  I take pride in knowing that the Irish have a rich and historic culture made up of a lot more than pub crawling.  We also are a people known for having a wicked sense of humor.  A bit rough and tumble you might say.

green girls

Growing up in … Read More

A Daring Thought

March 4th, 2015
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It’s winter here in my part of the world and that means weather has continued to be dreary and cold.  It’s also the middle of the week and I’m looking for inspiration to give me a boost and I can’t think of a better person to do that than the fabulous Brene Brown! If you don’t know Brene Brown, she is an author, mother, wife and also a Ph.D. research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work.  If you get a chance check out her TED talk.  It blew me away! Brene Brown has an amazing… Read More

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 truly have never… Read More

Creating An Oasis of Calm

February 16th, 2015
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When I read the above sign, I knew I was in the right place. Isn’t it just great? I love the simplicity and comfort of this message and the fact that it was posted on a black bench in the lobby of a local yoga studio where I took my first lesson over the weekend made the idea behind the message even better. I was in a new place about to begin a new experience but felt immediately welcomed. Taking off my shoes became the first step to creating a calming place for myself.  As I pulled my boots off… Read More

A Plucky Poem of Resilience

February 11th, 2015
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// When I open my personal email early in the morning, one of my favorite things to see is an email from my son.  I don’t get them as much I did when he was in college because now I receive more text messages.  But still, receiving an email from him always makes me smile. The email that I write about today arrived over the weekend and in it my son wrote that a friend of his had seen the poem featured below and wanted to pass it along to me so that I could post it on Cry Laugh… 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

Mastering One Mighty Wall

January 16th, 2015
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Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson, the two men who courageously completed the historic climb up El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, were the topic of animated conversation yesterday in my office. People were wondering how they did it (can you believe it?), what kind of stamina it took to finish the climb (Dude you would have to be in incredible shape right?) and what your fingers would look like at the end of the climb (Totally bloody!).  This topic then lead people to talk about other people who practice extreme sports including some guy who wears… Read More

Permission To Feel

January 14th, 2015
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There are times when I read something that clarifies an issue for me or it helps me connect the dots of information I have spread about in my brain and when this happens I want to share it for the information might also be a great resource for you too! In this case, it is an incredibly insightful piece that I read in this past Sunday’s New York Times.  It is written by Patrick O’Malley, a psychotherapist from Fort Worth, Texas, and his opinion piece addresses why people tend to grieve the way they think others want them to grieve,… 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