Bereaved and Blessed

Set in Stone

February 13, 2024

One of many idioms that I grew up hearing was how things aren’t permanent until they are “set in stone.” I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about what it meant or how literal I took the expression until today. It is the seven month anniversary of the day that my mom died and […]

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Rewind 2023

January 13, 2024

12 years ago I participated in a year-end blog meme for the first time called Rewind 2011, with fun and interesting questions designed to get writers and readers to reflect on our lives in 2011. I did so again the following year, with my Rewind 2012. After that I took six years off, starting up […]

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Finding Her in Everything

November 9, 2023

When I was little and it was cold outside, I would sometimes go into my parents’ bathroom and sit up against the radiator there to warm up. I often did so early in the morning while my mom was getting ready for the day, putting on her makeup and styling her hair. I enjoyed watching […]

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In Her Shoes

October 23, 2023

When Dad died in July 2021 I told Mom there was no rush to go through his things, that we could take our time. That worked for Mom, for my sister Meg and for me and when we felt ready (enough) we started the process of determining what we wanted to keep and what we […]

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Today You Are Twenty

October 2, 2023

Happy 20th Birthday, Sean! Today you are no longer a teenager. Wow. Two decades down and hopefully many more go. Your paternal great uncles who like to compare getting older to playing an American football game would say you are now entering the second quarter of yours. There’s so much about your life, as well […]

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Today You Are Fourteen

September 17, 2023

Hello, 14! What a whirlwind this last year has been for you and our family, dear Gail… We have navigated so many wonderful and challenging experiences. Dancing Gail continues to describe you well as you spend as much time at Dance Center Evanston (DCE)/Studio 5 taking classes and rehearsing for ede2 dance company as you […]