Category: Uncategorized
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Chronicles
Yesterday I woke up with this photo on my mind, catching it before it faded away in the light. I could feel the heat of two little boys pressing into me. The heaviness of Owen’s head in the crook of my arm, and the comfortable way Ethan rested against me at the end of the…
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First Signs of Spring, and Other Things I Hate Right Now
March in Pennsylvania is all over the place. The temperature can and does go from 75 degrees to 30 degrees in a 24-hour period. There’s fresh snow on the grass today, but early spring is still in the air. Farmers are turning over their fields, daylight lasts a little longer each day, and my yard…
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Some Things I’ve Learned about Grief–Part II
Grief changes. Might seem glaringly obvious, but sometimes it helps to remind yourself of that. The first days or weeks after a traumatic loss can feel completely unreal. Nothing will make sense. Over and over again, you may feel electric shocks of recognition and pain. I had no idea how I was going to continue…
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Some Things I’ve Learned about Grief–Part I
Since 2019 I’ve lost both of my parents and my oldest son. It’s been a lot of loss. A lot of grieving. Each loss feels different; each has its own process. Along the way, I’ve learned some hard-earned lessons. I also have a list with suggestions for how to offer support and comfort to a…
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Brave
I am not brave. I’m not hoping you’ll say Oh, sure you are! I’m not, and I’m fine with that. I’m always looking for the easy way out, the shortcut. I don’t want to face my fears. I don’t want to be afraid at all. I’d do almost anything to avoid being in a place…
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Shrapnel
Trauma begins when memories become shrapnel. Something blows up your psyche. That sounds like a metaphor, but it doesn’t feel like one. Before a traumatic event, there’s you, a person with a fairly intact mind—then in just the time it takes to answer the phone, to flick a switch, to hit the brakes, to open…
Just Love Harder 