Blink. Sixty seven days have elapsed without me following up to the first post on marital discord, sixty-three days since my last writing on this site. Yet it feels like only a week or so ago that I was snapping photos of the uncharacteristically sunny, northeast skies. Where have I been? Procrastinating, I guess. Oh, I’ve been plenty busy with … Read More
On Marital Discord, Part 1
“There’s a fire burning in my heart,” ran through my head for two days. Adele’s catchy, bluesy beat pulsated, over and over and over, and I found myself repeatedly belting out that single stance. And wouldn’t you know, as I write this I’m having a hard time summoning that snappy tune… What kind of fire is burning in her heart, I … Read More
On Living in the Present
Two days ago I had an epiphany: I’ve been living in the past. And I had no clue because I had cloaked the behavior in a thick veil of distorted language. I was thinking about how relationships with my friends have changed in recent years. How we are all at different emotional, physical, and social stages in our lives. How … Read More
When Life Sucks…
A person who is lamenting the detachment and isolation of his son just said to me, “It’s okay.” I’ll never forget when I spoke those same words to one of my customers, in the early months after my son died. “It’s okay,” I’d say to people, who would usually say some variation of, “Yes, it’s going to be okay,” or … Read More
On Spiritual Paradox
Two days ago I watched an interview with Marcy Borders on The View. Marcy is a survivor of 9/11 and the woman whom was captured in the now-iconic photo, “Dust Lady,” on the day of the heinous attacks on our country. As a means of coping with the shock of the event, Marcy succumbed to alcohol and drugs, which led … Read More
On Grief
Every hour, across the globe, stories of loss are headlined in newspapers, on radio and television. Each story, however, is both intricately and simply personal. As these stories unfold before the public eye, the griever is entering Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ 5 Stages of Grief, a complex web of emotion and thought. And though grief is a natural and essential part of … Read More
Summer Warmth
I climbed out of bed at eight this morning and headed straight for the kitchen. Four hours later, I had finally finished cleaning up after preparing several gallons of bottled lemonade, tea, and water; making two pounds of macaroni salad; two dozen deviled eggs; cutting up an enormous, juicy watermelon; assembling paper products, condiments, table coverings; and gathering an assortment … Read More
On Depression
Depression. It lives all around us. In every walk of life. It often resides in unsuspecting places. In unsuspecting persons. And yet, sometimes it sits undetected, right in front of us, in a Hidden Objects picture, of sorts. We know something is there, inside the image that is Our Self, but we just can’t put our finger on it. I … Read More
Respite
In my last post, I spoke about finding respite during a busy time of my life. That is one virtue I’ve been trying to teach my teens these past few years: There are times throughout our lives when we must appreciate simple moments of rest and relaxation, for there are stressful periods when we cannot afford the luxury of leisurely … Read More
Bright Moon Grateful
The few weeks before school ends are always full. I often find myself running from place to place, chore to chore, and looking forward to the end of the academic year, for then the hampster wheel that is June with active children will end. Despite the hectic schedules and perpetual scheduling, rescheduling and planning, my husband and I have been … Read More