Grief
Beautiful Gestures
A friend of mine told me about some ways she is honoring loved ones. A friend of her’s mother passed away. Several months later, her friend contacted her and asked if she would like some of the religious items that the mom had accumulated. She gratefully accepted. One of the items was a statue of […]
The Afterlife
Unfortunately, my mom’s friend who I mentioned yesterday died this morning. I had a “feeling” about that this morning as I prayed a Divine Mercy Chaplet for her. Of course my mom was sad and we talked about our own mortality. She remembered that at one time, her brother died for a couple of minutes […]
Can’t Run From Grief
Last night I went to the grief support group. One thought that struck me was that you can’t run away from grief. It will catch up to you one way or another. When I got home, I looked through the mail and saw a newsletter from the Hospice organization. The first article I came to […]
All Souls Mass
All Souls Day took on new meaning this year with the death of my dad. The church had a Mass dedicated specifically for those who died this past year. I brought a couple photos of my dad to the church. Mom picked out the one with him wearing his military uniform. One photo was fastened […]
Not a Saint
For the past week, I have been listening to a biography of St. Therese of Lisieux’s parents – Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin. They were extraordinary parents who served God faithfully through the joys and sorrows of their lives. Even though from their youth they wanted to be consecrated to God and not marry, circumstances […]
Back to the Cabin
My mom, sister, and I decided to make a trip to the cabin today. We knew it would be a bittersweet adventure. My mom and I went up briefly for a couple of hours a couple weeks ago. Other than that, the last time we went was over a year ago with my dad. He […]
True Strength
Many times, perhaps most, strength doesn’t meant going it alone, standing and fighting by yourself. It means relying on others, allowing others to help. Mostly, relying on God. A friend of mine’s husband died unexpectedly several years ago. As she was reflecting on the anniversary of his death, she shared a quote that I thought […]
Fine Father’s Day
I knew today would be tough without my dad here. So I tried to keep my mind on good things. I thought of many wonderful men that I have been blessed to have in my life and sent them a note. They have inspired me, kept me on the right track, and been someone for […]
Dove Wisdom
My mom and I made a trip to the cabin today. It was bittersweet. The last time we were there was a year and a half ago with my dad. Unfortunately, at that time, he had no recollection of the house he had lovingly built with family and friends 40 years ago and quickly became […]
Roses
Today at my grief support group, I told a story of how my dad found an offshoot from the rosebush that had sprouted near the sidewalk. That was not a good place for it to be, so he pulled it up and we replanted it in a bare spot. It was no more than a […]
Still Finding God 