“Are There Hot Dogs in Heaven?” has been published
I’m happy to announce that my children’s book Are There Hot Dogs in Heaven? has been published and will be released August 1, 2024!
Are There Hot Dogs In Heaven? is my story of the first death that I experienced in my life. My dad’s sudden death impacted not only my life but the lives of my siblings…
Listening to Whispers of Wisdom
My late husband Roy would have been 82 on June 3, 2023. The creation of this website was inspired by the journey of grief I undertook following his sudden death of a heart attack on July 10, 2011. As I approach the twelfth anniversary of his death, I am reminded of the many painful yet educational lessons…
I BELIEVE … in the presence of ANGELS
I was looking through my old journals hoping to find the details of a dream that I had shortly after Roy died. I have never forgotten this particular dream. In it, I am lying on my bed-it is nighttime. I am aware of the presence of a bright and illuminated being-he is floating above me…
Letting Go – Part 3
In this next writing, I will begin to unpack what steps I took to create my new life and identity as a single woman. I remember reviewing Roy’s death certificate several months after his death. I noticed that it said he was married to me on the day of his death. Ironically, this is the same day…
Letting Go – Part 2
In this next writing, I am continuing with the theme of letting go. During the initial months following Roy’s death, the focus was not only on saying goodbye to his personal effects, it was also about saying goodbye to his physical presence in my daily life. I needed to understand, without his presence, all of our…
The Journey of Letting Go
A friend was telling me about a widower she has befriended whose wife of 25 years died four years ago. She noticed that his home looks like a shrine to his late wife. There are many photos placed in special spots throughout the house. They are platonic friends and she feels attracted to him. She…
Finding Joy in Times of Sadness
This being human is a guest house.Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comesas an unexpected visitor … Be grateful for whoever comes,because each has been sentas a guide from beyond. Rumi When we have walked the path of grief for a long enough period of time, we…
When Life Gives Us No Response
I ended my last post with this thought: What I know now is that we do have a say in how our life is going to go. We can survive grief and hardship. We can learn how to thrive again. These are life transforming moments. If we bring all the transformational learning and teaching to…
Life After Death of Someone We Love
This is a reposting of an article originally published in 2014. My late husband Roy died suddenly and unexpectedly on July 10, 2011. I will soon be arriving at the three year anniversary of his death. The journey of grief from that fateful day to today was filled with terrible emotional pain, severe depression, unending…
The Strangeness of Grief
I recently had new business cards designed and printed. On one side is a quote by the late poet John O’Donohue: “When you lose someone you love, your life becomes strange.” On the other side is my logo and website address. I had this new card created for when I meet people who are struggling…
To be productive or not: the illusion of striving and doing
I was listening to a Deepak Chopra meditation a few days ago. The topic was focused on the cultural pressure that is placed on us to be productive each day. I have been thinking about the reflections that were shared and have wondered whether being productive is really what most of us want to do with our…
No doubt about it -I snapped!
Like alot of people these days, I finally snapped. Last week my partner and I went to see the local holiday lights. He arrived at my home with car trouble and was understandably preoccupied with that. I suggested we take my car and he preferred to take his so he could spend some time listening to his…
Grief, the Pandemic, and the Holiday Season
It’s December 2021, which marks the 11th holiday season that I’ve experienced without my late husband. Fortunately, each season has gotten easier. It is possible to recreate a joy-filled and meaningful life in the aftermath of death, loss, and those horrific changes that life throws our way.As a retired mental health professional with close to…
Are you ready to rise with the Phoenix?
~When we ask for guidance, take action, and put our faith in an outcome we can’t yet see, we’ve begun to dance with grace ~ Cheryl Richardson In July 2017, I had two dreams with my late husband. He told me it was time to sell my condo and to move. He’s the kind of…
What can I learn from this moment in time?
Since August 6, 2017, we have had a lunar eclipse, a solar eclipse, and currently Mercury is in retrograde. What I know now following the solar eclipse on August 21 is that behind the shadow of life, one can discover the light or uncover the answer to a problem. Santa Barbara was engulfed in a…