healthy grieving
Hope for 2016
A year ago today, my life changed. When you get married, you don’t expect the “to death do us part” vows to be relevant until you’re old. The last year has been a lot of heart ache and even more change. Our family lost Keith and gained Libby. The kids and I moved. I bought…
The First Three Months (on grief and surviving)
Easter Sunday will mark three months without Keith. My head feels like it is spinning when I remember he is really gone. These last three months have flown by but also feel like it’s been years since I last sat with Keith in the hospital. I miss his friendship. Caleb does so many quirky, loveable,…
Why Grief is Hard
The hardest parts of grief usually aren’t the parts you think. It’s the unexpected moments that catch you off guard and leave you speechless. Keith’s birthday was on Sunday. I dreaded that it came within the first week of Keith’s leaving us. I was also thankful that we could “get it over with”. It took…
Gifts of Grace
With the anniversary of dad’s death and being at the same point in pregnancy when he got sick, I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on those times when life feels heavy and unbearable. Unfortunately, in my 28 years, I’ve had way too many of those seasons: too much sickness, too much pain, too much loss,…
Bird Sanctuary
At the south end of Long Beach Island, NJ there used to be a huge bird sanctuary. It was at least a mile of untouched beach, populated solely by birds. It was the quietest part of the island and a place of refuge for me. Hurricane Sandy wrecked the bird sanctuary. There’s still some beach…
For When Life Piles Up (Grief & Other Stressful Things)
From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for helpwhen my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety. Psalm 61:2 The past 7-9 years have been a series of big ups and bigger downs. I’ve experienced more before the age of 30 than most people experience in a life time….
Dear Dad: I Miss You
NOTE: This post is kind of erratic. I wrote it a few days ago and have been feeling pretty anal about it not flowing as well as I’d like it to. Yet, this is how it came out of my head and I’m all about sharing my experience authentically. So, here’s the most disorganized post…