Five Lessons From the Marvelous Mindy Kaling

October 24th, 2014
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Dear Resilient Readers,

I write a lot about the need to rebuild or recreate our lives after experiencing a loss or traumatic life event because it can be frightening and something people would rather not discuss.  In hopes of helping others, I have written about what worked for me but I also try to pass along helpful anecdotes from people who have worked hard to put themselves on that same healing path.

I know for myself that the secret to finding a new way to live my life after my husband died was in taking each day, and sometimes each … Read More

Be Bold Today

October 20th, 2014
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Monday. I know Mondays can be painful. Today was one of those Monday mornings when I turned and looked at the alarm clock and just cursed it something nasty because I wasn’t  ready to get up and go.  Today I have an early appointment and needed to get out of bed to start my morning routine earlier than usual so maybe that’s why I’m feeling a bit cranky but still, time is precious and I am committed to making this a productive day. For no day is a day that should be hurried along.  Monday needs to roll out at… Read More

Greeting A New Day

October 14th, 2014
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Bodega Bay Coast By Michael Flick “Just take my hand, lead, dance with me… and I will simply follow the blueness of the water, the white waves rolling free… where the earth beneath my feet and stars make my heart whole again… in long and priceless moments of shared solitude…” ― Oksana Rus… Read More

Baby Tenacity

October 6th, 2014
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One of my sisters became a grandmother this year and I now look forward to receiving short videos from her of the precious time she spends with her granddaughter.  I never get tired of watching this little bundle of energy! We haven’t had a baby in our family for many years since the youngest of the grandchildren are now in high school (A whole other world!).  Watching my sister’s granddaughter reminds me of something that I had forgotten: how quickly children change and the beauty of persistence.  Crawling and pulling herself up to a table, focusing on getting her balance… Read More

Heralding October

October 1st, 2014
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Even though my heart is really not into it, I know today that I must turn the page on my calendar and greet October with open arms.  I know I have to do this because October wants to stay and get comfy and has no plans to go anywhere at all. Don’t get me wrong, October is a good month full of Halloween decorations and candy, warm weather that’s still sometimes good enough for shorts and flip flops but then it usually turns into chilly weather towards the end of the month inviting us to wrap ourselves in soft blankets… 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

The Ever-Changing Game of Life

September 22nd, 2014
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A Quote By Mary Oliver The wise quote above, written by Mary Oliver, seems on the surface to be expressing a rather obvious idea. Right? When I first read it, I almost dismissed it for I had brought Oliver’s thought into my mind too quickly and didn’t really let the underlying message sink in. Then I read it again and let it float around in my mind while I began to apply it to my own life. How many times do I go through the day rereading the chapter I read the day before?  In other words, if I keep… Read More

4 Bodacious Roses

September 15th, 2014
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These days, I am all about finding natural ways to calm and quiet my thoughts.  Being around nature, and flowers in particular, has a calming and healing effect on my mood. Lavender is usually my “go to” scent for calming my jangled nerves but I also love the light and airy scent of roses.  When I take the time to be mindful of roses, each individual delicate petal, its soft colors and position of its bloom facing the sun, I am distracted from the noise around me and slowly begin to discover an inner stillness.  Sadly, at this time of… 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