Bereaved and Blessed

Okay, Within Reason

March 25, 2026

“You okay, within reason?” the mammogram tech asked me, almost rhetorically, each time before tightening the compressor even more on my right breast and telling me to hold my breath. She was apparently really focusing on an area they were concerned about. I was okay (enough) and it still hurt a lot. Today I had […]

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Rewind 2025

January 20, 2026

14 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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Today You Are 22

October 2, 2025

As you move into another year of adulthood I am struck by how different your life is than I imagined it might be when you turned 22. Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see Though […]

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Today You Are 16

September 17, 2025

Last Friday our family went to dinner at one of our local favorites, Fat Shallot, and since the weather was nice we got to eat outside on the back patio. When I stepped out of the restaurant, after Dad and I finished placing our order, I scanned the tables to see which one your older […]

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Holding Mystery at 50

June 5, 2025

Earlier this year, my therapist encouraged me to “hold a certain amount of mystery and figure out what works for me” in regard to circumstances that I struggle with. I’ll add holding space, tension and ambiguity, as well as gaining clarity/figuring out what matters and is meaningful to me. My therapist has given me variations […]

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Honoring Molly (17 Years)

April 17, 2025

Dear Molly, Today is your “Golden Birthday” and the 17th anniversary of your death. I baked a cake last night for us to begin enjoying on your birthday eve, as today will be a busy one for our family. I grabbed a bag of miscellaneous extra candles from a kitchen cabinet to decorate it and […]