Yesterday felt like a day that would never end. My husband woke before me and left to go for a run. He kissed me and told me to sleep in as long as I could. Later, when I looked at my phone, the reality of our broken world slammed into me yet again. Another person killed in a shooting in Minnesota. Another one. Grief swept over me and I cried. Throughout the morning, more information about what happened flooded in. I saw the videos. I saw it all. Probably too much. In my over

This December has been gray. I live in the Portland, OR area and it has been very, very rainy and very, very gray. Come to find out, I don’t handle lack of sunshine well, my mind and body start to slow down and depression moves in. I take my vitamin D and am sitting in front of my happy light as I type. These do help some. But even with those, I struggle. I didn’t know that I suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder until I moved to a rainy area 4 years ago. Now I know and c

Today is Childhood Grief Awareness Day. To mark this day, I made this video, and interview with my son Isaac to talk about his own childhood grief. This is the first of a series called "Grief Conversations." https://youtu.be/65KmIANaWSM?si=g1evuL7-leZFIuUJ

Today I woke up and just felt a little bit off. It took a little longer to get out of bed and decide what to wear to work. I eventually ended up in the shower and my mind wandered to memories of Aaron’s multiple cancer surgeries, and visits to Seattle for treatment. I broke down in tears in the shower as the feelings of grief turned to mourning. It came out of what seemed like nowhere… but the body remembers. I continue to be amazed at what our bodies can do, what they can fe

I wrote this 2 years ago and want to share it today as I remember and recall this significant day... and the importance of ceremony and ritual in life. Over time, and through grief, I have become a big believer in ritual and ceremony. In a culture that seems to be working hard to de-ritualize just about everything, I find myself leaning into the opposite. Ritual provides us with something to do when we don’t know what to do. This is true in sorrow as well as celebration. Ritu

November is Children’s Grief Awareness Month. While it seems like every month is some type of awareness month, this one is close to my heart because I have parented children who are grieving, and I have seen the fruits of allowing them to grieve in their own, personal way.  I love this quote from Dr. Alan Wolfelt, “The bereaved child must be allowed and encouraged to embrace the wide range of thoughts and feelings that result from the death. Caring adults often want to protec

This morning, I am starting the day intentionally slow. My cup of coffee, my dog laying at my feet, a quiet house while my husband takes our youngest to school and then goes on a run. The stillness of the morning is lovely. I have been a little absent online as I prepare for two grief education events. Grief education is one of my favorite things. I genuinely believe this type of education is how we shift our culture to one that is not so avoidant and prone to shame and fear

I’ve been busy the last few weeks with life and preparing for two speaking events coming up in a few weeks. It has been good, but I have...

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the wedding reception of a newly married couple. The family of the bride has been part of my...

Today would have been my Mom's 82nd birthday. She died in the fall of 2020, during the pandemic. As of late, my Facebook memories have...

Our senses are remarkably wonderful, and immensely powerful. It is fascinating how a sensory experience can liven parts of our brain...

Listen to this post here: https://youtu.be/rqBdrM8Trwg In the months following my husband’s death, I struggled, especially in the...

Gardening is part of my being, part of my soul. It was placed there by my parents. The memories of my childhood summers consistently...

I spent this last week immersed in continuing education in order to hone and polish my skills as a grief support group facilitator. I...

Life can be seen in a multitude of visual representations… a tapestry, with each thread placed creating a beautiful picture. Some see...