Happy Happens. Just like the proverbial shit happens, happy happens.™ Happiness, it’s definition, and the possession or the elusion of it in our lives is an age-old saga, Neighbor! I am sure that you can recite any number of quotes and cliches you’ve encountred on the subject. And something tells me you can easily conjure moments when you’ve felt happy … Read More
Did Your Resolution Love You As Much As You Loved It?
Maybe you spent months dreaming up a plan that was sure to take you to new heights or maybe you thought the exciting energy surrounding the trending new diet, exercise or self-help regimen sounded like the next best thing for you, too. Now, for whatever reason, your in-it-to-win-it spirit has turned into God-how-I-hate-this-I-just-might-puke-if…or a You-suck-you-quitter/loser/faker/despicable/[insert your whatever]-You.
Regardless of how you came to setting your resolution, it is obvious that this is more than a little slump; it is just not working for you. In fact, it could be all wrong for you. A few simple questions will help you isolate where the breakdown(s) might be and help you redirect.
What’s in Your Mother’s Day Heart?
Dearest Neighbor, if today–Mother’s Day–you are somehow feeling sad, mad, shame, depressed, deprived, or less than special, you are not alone. I feel you. I see you. I honor and salute you, all of you who carry a mother’s love in your heart, but may not be able to show or share it because something is standing between you and that nurturing. Two decades ago, as we were leaving the funeral for my son, Gavin Michael, my good friend said to me, “You’re a great mom, and he’s so lucky to have you.” It took me a few years to recognize that even though I didn’t have the opportunity to do the traditional “Mom” things, I was his mother in so many ways, ways that were merely (and vastly) different than what we humans expect or envision about Motherhood. In the years since, I have spent a great deal of time reflecting on my friend’s proclamation, and the terms Mom and Motherhood have taken on an entirely new depth for me.
A Mother’s Day Tragedy and a Birth-Death Day Celebration
Dear Neighbor, Twenty-eight years ago, a miracle happened when a child was born. When you think about everything that must occur prior to any birth, the precise nature of so many scientific details, every delivery is miraculous. When I began writing this post, I realized that twenty-eight years ago, at the exact same hour, I was timing and logging contractions … Read More
Ask Annah: How Do I Create The Future Me?
Dear Neighbor, Thank you for this question and your courage to heal your heartaches big and small so you can go on to live your dream life, the one YOU SO TOTALLY DESERVE, by unearthing your Future You. Understanding that we cannot return to the past and to some “Old Me” can certainly be frustrating. I well remember the angst … Read More
Ask Annah: Your Doctor Called You Lucky After Your Son Died?
“Your doctor called you lucky after your son died?” You asked? He sure did, Neighbor…and here’s what I later gleened from that experience… …………… “You’re lucky we were able to do a bikini cut,” my obstetrician said to me during my six-week checkup. Lucky? I sat across from this man who had come to know my body—well, certain parts like … Read More
Ask Annah: How Do I Move Forward When the Past Keeps Repeating Itself? Part III: Fear
Dearest Neighbor, Thank you for your courage to heal your heartaches big and small and for sharing, for in reaching out, you are also giving strength and hope to others. “How do I move forward when the same bad stuff keeps happening over and over again?” Millions of us can relate to your question and in countless ways. I joked … Read More
Ask Annah: Am I a Lost Cause?
Dearest Neighbor, Oh, how I relate to your current struggle and remember well feeling like I was the only person on the planet who wasn’t “getting it.” “I just can’t relate to my friends, my family, or my therapist because what they are saying just doesn’t make sense to me. Am I a lost cause?” Let me assure you that … Read More
Ask Annah: I’m Afraid My Deceased Loved One Will Be Forgotten. How Do I Prevent That?
Dearest Neighbor, This is one of the greatest fears The Living have following the death of a loved one, especially an unexpected or “untimely” death. Widows and Widowers. Loss Mamas, Papas, and Siblings. “Orphaned” children. [Insert your whatever.] We lament what will never be. “Lost time.” Things that “should be” but never will be. We have this sense of how … Read More