I recently attended a retreat the sole purpose of which was to meditate upon death. Gulp. Most people don’t really want to be on a first name basis with the grim reaper, if you know what I mean. And yet,…
A 17 Year Blink
She sat across from me, her eyes tearing up. “I am at the end of an era. My youngest child just graduated from high school and my life will never be the same,” she said. This wasn’t an expression of…
Will Your Future Self Thank You?
A miracle has occurred in my life. After many years of eschewing rigorous exercise, I am now involved in a sport. I’m celebrating three months of regular participation in the high intensity, constantly varied, functional sport known as Crossfit. Believe…
When Life Dishes Out the Unexpected – and it Always Does
Once upon a time there was a land where the people expected to find love, prosperity, and happiness . . . always. They expected good luck and good fortune and were bitterly disappointed when the unexpected occurred. The problem was…
Life after Death
Saying goodbye last year to my sweet furry friend, Hickory, was heartbreaking. My constant companion of 15 years, he was with me as I raised and launched my children. He followed me as I lived with one husband and then…
Requiem
Requiem . . . Latin for “rest.” It comforts me to imagine a resting place of heavenly peace for all those whom we have loved and lost; a place where they are granted a peace so sublime that there is…
Dog Gone
Why do they say “man’s best friend?” Surely, women and children are also succeptible to a dog’s unconditional love and bountiful affection. For me, Hickory, a golden retriever, was truly one of my dearest friends and companions for almost 15…
The Art of Letting Go
I’ve been learning a lot about letting go lately. Having sent 2 children off to the other side of the world (one to a boarding school in India and one to a gap year in Europe) and also having to…
When Cancer Calls
On Friday June 1st, my beloved husband, Daniel, was diagnosed with colon cancer. He is one of the 112,000 people annually who receive such news. The following week he, at age 46, had his first ever CAT scan, his first…
True Love Never Ceases
They come to the site broken by life, hearts crushed by emotional pain. They have lost siblings, spouses, children, parents, best friends and lovers. They come seeking support, assurance that they are not alone in their unbearable grief. Two years…