When grieving it's hard to look past the pain and try to understand why it happened. Some people may never find the peace that they seek or the answers they are looking for. But in truth finding hope or some sort of reasoning is what helped pull me through. A Brief Back Story To help shed some light I want to share a little bit of history. During my childhood, there was only one death in the ... Read More about Finding The Positive In Grief
Finding The Positive In Grief
Relationships & Singledom: Can You Really Have It All With One Person?
Relationships are hard and dating is even harder when you're in your 40's. When my husband and I separated in 2012, we knew we were headed for divorce. And by the time my divorce was final in 2015, I was already in love with the man who had my heart; however, imagining myself in a fully committed relationship for the long haul was difficult for me to even think about. I loved him, yes; but I ... Read More about Relationships & Singledom: Can You Really Have It All With One Person?
Inspirational Women: From Tragedy To Triumph Jennifer Rader On Tough Times, Digging Deep, & Leukemia
What defines us? Is it our past, future fate that is swirling around over us, our family? Some venture out and go with that fortune from the cookie at that all you can eat buffet. I choose to believe that experiences define our character and our character takes the reigns of the future. My past is colorful. And like the rainbow, I have colors (or experiences) that were arranged in order and they ... Read More about Inspirational Women: From Tragedy To Triumph Jennifer Rader On Tough Times, Digging Deep, & Leukemia
The Village We Lost
Six years ago, virtually everything that signified home to me ceased to be. In the span of a few months I was no longer anyone’s wife, no longer anyone’s daughter, and my active phase of mothering had come to an end as my eldest married and my youngest left home. To say my world seemed to stop would be an understatement. The process of rebuilding my life involved difficult decisions and many ... Read More about The Village We Lost
Caitlyn Siehl: Do Not Fall In Love With People Like Me
Do not fall in love with people like me. people like me will love you so hard that you turn into stone into a statue where people come to marvel at how long it must have taken to carve that faraway look into your eyes. Do not fall in love with people like me we will take you to museums and parks and monuments and kiss you in every beautiful place so that you can never go back to ... Read More about Caitlyn Siehl: Do Not Fall In Love With People Like Me
Finding Joy When There Isn’t Enough To Go Around
On March 6, 2015, Miriam's life began again. Due to end-stage lung disease, she had waited over six months on the transplant list. And for someone like her, that felt like forever. She had come precariously close to the unimaginable; but, on that remarkable day, because of an anonymous organ donor, she received her new lungs and another chance! Her life hasn’t been the same since. On that day, her ... Read More about Finding Joy When There Isn’t Enough To Go Around
Why Having Low Expectations Is More Awesome Than It Sounds
Having low expectations is often associated with failure and laziness. But low expectations might not actually be as bad as we’re used to thinking. Just when I think about my casual life, the best times I remember are the days and nights I had absolutely no expectation of being special. I’m a so-called ‘millennial’. Some people may think we’re over-parented hipsters who are always on our phones ... Read More about Why Having Low Expectations Is More Awesome Than It Sounds
Before & After: Life’s Benchmarks
There are days in our lives which we always remember and refer to as “before —, and after —”. A major “before and after” event marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. It allows us to keep track of when other things happened because our frame of reference is forever changed. We can’t forget these days even when we wish we could. Our life is moving predictably along a somewhat ... Read More about Before & After: Life’s Benchmarks
David Whyte: Sweet Darkness
A few years ago, I went on a weekend retreat with some amazing women! Several things were happening in my life at that time, so the facilitator shared this poem by David Whyte and I fell head over heels in love with his work. I hope that it speaks to you as much as it did to me. Here's to recognizing all the things in our lives that are just too small for us. Sweet ... Read More about David Whyte: Sweet Darkness
Dreams Aren’t Enough
I had all these dreams as a child. Somewhere along the way, though, I stopped. I stopped doing the things that brought me joy and stopped believing in all the possibilities the world offered. I can pinpoint some specific instances, but mostly it was a slow drift away from joy toward complacency. Unfortunately, I’m telling a story that belongs to many of us. 2008 was a big year for me…lots of ... Read More about Dreams Aren’t Enough