Posts Tagged: spiritual

Grief Sucks

April 8th, 2017
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Gonzaga Two

My Dad At A Gonzaga Rally 

Dear Faithful Friends:

Excuse my French, but as the title of this post suggests, grief does suck.

I haven’t been on social media very much lately though it’s not for lack of trying.  Since my Dad’s death in February, I can’t tell you how many times I have tried to sit down and write something but all the words get balled up.

I know I am stating the obvious but it needs to be said.  When you call something what it is, you bring it out into the open.  Maybe it just sits in … Read More

Give Yourself A Break

December 11th, 2016
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Giving is fun. Whether it’s something you meticulously made with your own hands or something you spent a long time searching for, giving to others is a wonderful feeling. I sometimes feel that giving a present to someone is more exciting than receiving. Watching the other person’s reaction while they are opening your gift is part of the fun and contributes to that good feeling of giving and letting them know they are special. During this holiday season, which can easily turn frantic as we get closer to the time of celebration, I think it is also important to give… Read More

Let’s Rise Up

November 12th, 2016
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  My late husband, Tom O’Toole, as a young boy   Good Morning Friends: So how was your week? I’m not trying to be flip.  I am genuinely concerned. We live in a topsy turvy world and you would have to be stationed in some unbelievably remote part of the globe not to be aware of the election results in this week’s U.S. presidential contest.  Seriously, it has been quite a freaking week and everyone I know (including myself) is still absorbing what happened. On top of the surprising election results, my family received some sad personal news that I … Read More

Sweet Little You

October 21st, 2016
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      Yesterday morning, one of my nieces delivered her second child and shazam, just like that our large boisterous family has grown by one more! We expected her arrival at any time during this past week with everyone closely following the daily ups and downs of labor; starting, stopping, starting, stopping until the doctors decided that yesterday was the right time to induce and really kick her labor into high gear. At that point, things started happening very quickly and then suddenly Baby Lilly was here! When you are not around babies on an everyday basis, you can… Read More

Princess Diana — 19 Years

August 31st, 2016
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Revealing your unfiltered feelings and becoming vulnerable to another person is not something anyone does easily, particularly when you are brokenhearted and trying to talk about the loss of a treasured loved one. I bring up the subject of talking about the loss of a loved one for today is the 19th anniversary of the tragic death of Princess Diana, one of the most iconic women of our time and one of her beloved sons, Prince William, who is now a parent himself, recently had a tender conversation with a young boy who had recently experienced the loss of his… Read More

Memoir: When Breath Becomes Air

August 15th, 2016
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Dr. Lucy Kalanithi and Dr. Paul Kalanithi with their daughter, Elizabeth Acadia.  Photo Courtesy of Lucy Kalanithi   When friends find something special, they want to share it with others. I recently found a book that is beyond special and today my friends, I would like to share it with you. “When Breath Becomes Air” is a beautiful and touching book about giving yourself up to the unexpected joys of life but also fighting with every ounce of energy that you have within your being when you find your ability to experience those simple and spectacular moments in life is… Read More

Finding My Place

August 8th, 2016
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There are many reasons why I look forward to my yoga class, but the thing that always brings me back over and over is its ability to help me find my place. By the time I arrive at my class, I usually feel emotionally and physically scattered from work and whatever is going on in my wacky life.  I always start my days with the best of intentions and I try to use my time wisely but somehow things unravel and then I find I am trouble shooting some unexpected crisis.  Of course, there are some days when things go… Read More

Real Life Re-Entry

July 25th, 2016
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  Today I reluctantly come back to the real world. I have been living as Beach Bum Girl for the past week and loving every minute of it.  To say that the beach is my Happy Place is an understatement.  Every year I return to the same beach with family and friends so that I may slow down and embrace the simple and beautiful ways of living near the shore. Hopefully a vacation of some sort is in your summer plans.  We all need to spend time away from our work routines and relax because it’s important for maintaining good… Read More

Simply Satisfying Friday

May 6th, 2016
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  There is something about the word simple that makes me feel at ease. I’m not sure why it makes me feel that way but it does. Simple.  As in streamlined.  As in efficient.  As in making sure that a lot of superfluous stuff doesn’t get in the way of finding a well worn path to tranquility. As in breaking down complicated situations and keeping them simple. It’s a word that I hang on to when life gives me a lot to handle. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that information overload is currently the ongoing theme… Read More