Shedding Light
Recently I was asked why I share such personal information on my blog. The questioner stated that he could not imagine “revealing” this kind of material in a public forum. I have been thinking about this query for the past couple of weeks. The verb to reveal comes from the 14th century old French reveler…
L’chaim
Project 1-15-15 is mired in celebration, joy, passion, and well-being. I am blogging, being of service, releasing weight, being social, participating in Landmark Education, and I am healthy. Mazel tov to the possibility of life, l’chaim to life. My personal suffering has lifted and I am completely available to the possibilities that life presents daily….
Nip it in the Bud
In my last post I spoke about my new project 1-15-15 which encompasses the rediscovery of my physical, sexual, and emotional well-being. Way back when I was a young woman, I imagined by the age of 60 that I would have all the answers, be totally together, and be congruent with the world in which…
Project 01-15-15
This post reflects the beginning of a new chapter in my life. One of the primary side effects of grief has a somatic nature and can be experienced as weight gain or loss. In my case, I gained a significant amount of weight as a result of the medications I took for severe depression, anxiety,…
Standing Tall with Anticipation
Dear Roy,Today is the third anniversary of your death. In some ways it feels like the other day that you left me so suddenly, and yet it feels like eons ago that were together. I love you, and will always love you. I will forever treasure your memory and respect who you are in my life….
Cats, Coffee and Pink Bougainvillea
The greatest joy in my life is when I am sitting at my small, round, wood-top table looking out at the ocean – my feet propped up on the chair and my body calm. These moments, minutes and oftentimes hours of being right here is a slice of heaven on earth. Often my cats join…
Sea of Tears
After my father’s death when I was 4 years old, the home my family and I lived in was filled with emptiness, sadness and silence. I was attached to a 48 year old mother who was inconsolable. My three older siblings and I were often adrift on an unknown sea of tears. One Saturday evening…
Happy Birthday Roy Jack Mankovitz
Today is Roy’s 73rd birthday – Happy Birthday Roy Jack Mankovitz – you are missed and loved today. I went to the cemetery this morning and brought flowers – I sat for awhile and spoke with Roy – telling him about the vicarious nature of life – how my moods and relationship to his death…
Change | Empowerment | Falling in Love | Fear | Grief | Healing | Loss of a Love | Relationships | Transition
Managing the Early Days of Grief
I have been asked since starting my blog of how I managed to get through the early days of grief. During the first 12 months, I depended greatly on a poem by the late Irish poet, John O’Donohue, entitled “On Grief” from To Bless the Space Between Us, which I have included below. A colleague sent me…
When Bad Things Happen to Good People
Rabbi Harold Kushner wrote in his best selling book When Bad Things Happen to Good People that bad things happen to good and bad people alike – and good things often happen to bad people. I knew before Roy died that life was not fair, but my personal relationship to this statement took on a…
Those Few Extra Minutes…
One changes a great deal throughout the journey of grief. I can no longer call Roy when I have a few extra minutes. I cannot call him from the office and tell him I am on my way home and that he can put on the ribs for dinner. This reality was instantaneous and took many…
All Shall Be Well
Since Roy’s death almost 3 years ago, I have cultivated an inner strength through writing, dialoguing, meditating and re-discovering what I love to do. My marriage to Roy was the source of my strength. Now I stand on the shoulders of our marriage and draw from the insights and breakthroughs that I am discovering as…
In Life It’s Not Where You Go, But Who You Travel With
I recently returned from a five day trip to Tucson where I attended my niece’s wedding. My family and I had a good time – we laughed, danced, ate, drank, and caught up with one another’s lives. I travel with more confidence now. This trip was easier than others because I was with my family most of the…
Home
Hello, My name is Kathleen Barry and welcome to my blog Whispers of Wisdom. I have been a widow for three years. This blog is my way of sharing what I have learned through my grieving process. I hope my reflections will help others who have joined this life changing ‘club’. “There is life after death…