AKA "The Writing Woman"
So often now, in the midst of happiness, I’ll feel this gloom settle over me. I know right away that it’s not a “random” sadness; it’s definitely Rick-related. I feel those tears just below the surface, a very mild form of the horrible grief I had shortly after losing him, but it builds every day…
I heard the news, and then I cried A boy I used to love has died We were just teens the night we met No boy had ever kissed me yet So long ago and far away He smiled at me and made my day He held my hand, he kissed my face I followed…
Beneath the surface, the pain waits For the waves of movement to stop For your flurry of activity to slow For the churning waters of your busy life to settle The life you were so proud of recreating from the ashes Beneath the surface, the pain waits For the quiet times, The peaceful times When…
When my son was a toddler, I wanted time to stand still. I loved being a mother. I loved the daily cuteness and cuddling and knew I’d never enjoy anything in life as much as I did being his mom. But he continued to grow, and each year, I enjoyed life more. His million questions,…
Today is Rick‘s birthday. At this stage, I’m experienced enough with grief to know that I need to take a little time by myself before I try to venture out into public. Even two-year-old grief needs a time and a place to be released. So I stayed in bed this morning, my last vacation day…
Sitting poolside On this hot July day Basking in the sun, Eyes closed against the strong rays Two years here alone Two summers without you A lifetime between then and now But I find I’m… Still waiting Still waiting to hear the back door slam You, back from your bicycle ride Still waiting to feel…
Rick and I were married on July 12, 1997. He died one month after our twentieth anniversary. This Friday will mark the second time I’ve spent our anniversary alone. In a way, it’s almost the third time, because on our last anniversary together in 2017, he was pretty sick and often mentally confused, so our…
It’s a beautiful day in northern Michigan, the beginning of the week-long vacation my family and I enjoy every July at our cottage. My grandpa built his retirement home on Lake Huron nearly sixty years ago and it’s been passed down through generations to those of us who enjoy it today. We call it Paradise….
In early 2016, I led a charmed life. I was married and sharing my world with a man who loved me. We lived in our happy little home, and enjoyed the perks of having worked for years and years to have our tech gadgets and our pool and our vacations. Rick had just started receiving…
I catch myself talking out loud a lot when I’m alone in the car. Luckily, nowadays, the passengers in the cars around me assume I’m on a hands-free phone, so it doesn’t seem strange to see me alone gabbing away while I’m sitting at the red light next to them. Except, the reality is, I’m…