Inspiration and JOY for a vibrant midlife
grieving and loss
Daddy was larger than life. I know most kids feel and say that, but in his case it’s an absolute fact. Loud. Boisterous. Slightly obnoxious. Hilarious. A little damaged. Fiercely loyal. And more…And sometimes I still can’t believe that he’s gone. Father’s Day can be rough for those of us who’ve lost our larger than life daddies. If you’ll indulge me, I thought I’d honor Daddy by sharing a few stories about him… Continue reading “Remembering My Dad”
A young woman I know just lost her mother. Suddenly and tragically. Another young woman I know just lost her mother to breast cancer. Those sad losses made me realize that though I lost my parents, I was so very fortunate to have had them in my life for as many years as I did. They were a constant presence in my life until they slipped away. I know my grief is different from those young ladies, but grief is grief, pain is pain, hurt is hurt. Sometimes it’s difficult to know what to do or say to help a grieving friend, but I have a few suggestions, speaking from experience. Continue reading “How to Help A Grieving Friend”
As you get older you start to realize that time passes much more quickly than when you were younger. You remember events as happening just a couple of years ago, and when you think back, you realize that it was actually five, ten or even more years ago. It still blows my mind that 1997 was actually 20 years ago, and not 10 years ago! But what’s really startling is when you take inventory and think about changes that have happened in your life. Sometimes these life events just snowball, and that carefully planned route on the roadmap of life causes you to take a detour. Sometimes they occur slowly, and you don’t realize how much your life has changed until you take notice and take inventory. Continue reading “Life Happens When You’re Busy Making Other Plans…And What Can Happen in Just Five Years”
We were just rocking along, enjoying our empty nest. Travelling. Working. Loving our first grandchild. And then our world turned upside down. In February of 2015 our beautiful Mom went to heaven after a very difficult health battle and then in July of 2016 our Daddy took his last breath, and slipped peacefully away. He grieved her loss every single day after she left. From the moment I got the first phone call that she was sick, through the months that Dad has passed, I’ve had to deal with things that I was completely unprepared for. Stress. Worry. Grief. Care-taking. Sitters. Home Health. Hospice. More Grief. Estates. Insurance. More Grief. And this is what I’ve said over and over again:
“This is the part of life nobody warned me about.”
So I am giving you a heads up. It’s tough.
Continue reading “The Part of Life Nobody Warns You About”
