Tie a knot and hang on

Most of us have heard of the saying, “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on,” right? It’s meant as an encouragement, I understand. But to the grieving it is poor advice and can be, in fact, quite discouraging. It’s discouraging because those who are grieving often feel...

A birthday burial

A dear friend of over 30 years died at the end of February. It was sudden and unexpected. My husband and I attended her graveside service this morning. Today is her birthday. She and I used to be roommates before Tim and I were married, and we kept in touch frequently up until the last...

Last April

It was at this time a year ago that we received the diagnosis of autism for our youngest child. Needless to say, it was devastating. I wanted any other diagnosis but that. Autism is a big pill to swallow. Anyone who has walked this path understands this. A year ago, I was hopeful, however. I...

If I could, I would.

I wish I could say that my initial response to adversity was positive. But sadly, it's not. It takes me time to process, and my body even longer, perhaps. Though I went to bed last night at 10pm and fell asleep before my Abide 30 minute timer finished, I woke at 11:45pm. I had tossed...

It’s too much

I'm not in a good head space. I wish I could say I had a better attitude, but the truth is that I hate this. I hate being homeless, relying on one friend or another to put us up. I hate not knowing where my family and I will be sleeping on any given day....

A grief Connections game

Numb Disbelieving Sad Broken Hopeful Loved Missed Aching Memories I've played the NYT Connections game for many months. The object of the game is to "connect" together groups of four items that share something in common. It's not always obvious how the four words are connected. It can be frustrating and hard at times. In...