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Grief and Loss

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In response to questions about my writing

The question I get asked most often these days is are you writing anything? My usual response is: I write nearly every day in my journal and I’ve completed several articles for a client. But when it comes to blog posts, I’ve been, well, stuck. I wouldn’t call it writer’s block. New ideas for posts come to mind regularly. I write them in my head and jot them down in my book of ideas. I just can’t sit myself down to flesh them out. And when I do work on stories, I can’t seem to finish them. Emotional overload To be fair to myself, I have carried a heavy load for a very long time. Transitioning my dad to a retirement home last fall and selling his belongings and house this summer was way more stressful than I’d anticipated. As spring came into bloom this year, my mourning for Paul…

Celebrating his birthday when he’s gone

I woke up yesterday morning with pain in my sinuses and an ache in my jaw. I knew if I didn’t get up and take some medication right then, a full-blown headache would soon knock me down for the count. With my eyes barely open, I shuffled into the kitchen to swallow two Excedrin capsules. I grabbed some ice packs from the freezer for my neck and head and shuffled back to bed. Still groggy from not enough sleep the night before, it took me a while to figure out what day it was. Tuesday, May 22. Paul’s birthday. I’d been anticipating the day ever since I turned the calendar over to May. Or was it the month before when I wished he was here to celebrate my birthday with me? Yet, in all that time, I hadn’t thought about what I’d do on his special day. I mean, what…

Design Mom published my story!

I am so excited about this event that I had to share it with you all as soon as I could. I’ve been reading the blog Design Mom for a couple of years now. It’s packed with great information for women who are raising young children and who appreciate design. I love how Gabrielle Blair

International Widows Day is no laughing matter

“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress …” (James 1:27, NLT) Mom, I don’t want to make you sad, and it sounds kind of weird, but it’s International Widows Day today. That was the text message I received last Friday from my daughter, Emilie, while I was at the hair salon. I burst out laughing. “Why do we need a day to acknowledge widows?” I said to my stylist. “It’s not enough you have to deal with all the firsts and anniversaries, and now this?” he said. “So what do you do on International Widows Day?” I wondered aloud. “Do you celebrate with a party, as if being a widow is a good thing? Do you say ‘Happy Widows Day’ to the widows in your life? Or do you gather the widows and orphans and have…