If you are reading this, I want you to write down five reasons you are awesome. I was thinking (while on my first "training" run for a 5k I am going to try to complete in a month) how we as women, mothers, wives, and partners, so often depend on the reassurance of others for … Continue reading Five reasons I’m awesome
Maybe I have a skewed view of how life really was now that it's been almost a year since I lost my son, but I know our three years, though precious and amazing, we're not easy. We had long hospital stays, g-tube feeds, medications, countless appointments, therapies, specialists, emergencies, messes, and very little sleep. But … Continue reading Practicing patience
I received some interesting advice recently. Now, as someone who has a very loving, caring, endearing, but sometimes invasive collection of people surrounding her, advice comes frequent and often uninvited. However, this piece of advice was somewhat sought. A friend invited me to join her at a church fundraiser where a group of individuals offered … Continue reading Setting boundaries
Twelve hour days, working lunches, deadlines, perfection. These are my concerns as I learn the complexities of a new profession. Fevers, ER visits, chemotherapy, organ donors. Those were my concerns a year ago as my son battled liver cancer in his final weeks of life. It's amazing how my concerns have changed in just twelve … Continue reading In time
I want the director's cut, limited release, bonus footage, double-disc DVD so on days like this I can just hit eject, insert disc two, and get an alternate ending. In my alternate ending, I'm raising a healthy, vibrant and cheerful four year old. We are busy with everyday life and our hectic schedule is our … Continue reading Alternate ending
I've heard a lot of people reference their younger years over the past couple weeks and say that if they only knew then what they know now, how differently they would have lived. I also remember several people saying to me during some of my toughest days when my son was sick, or those … Continue reading What I’d tell my younger self
Trying to describe a mother's love to a woman who has yet to parent is like trying to describe Heaven to someone still living. Even stating those words makes me feel like I am expressing a concept so far beyond my reach and putting myself in a category where I don't deserve to exist. But … Continue reading A mother’s love
For more than three years I was a stay-at-home mom, caring for a critically ill child, working part-time from a home office and attending OT, PT and pediatrician appointments. Our little family made every attempt to stay safe by avoiding crowds, practicing healthy habits and germaphobic rituals, and ensuring we never attended events where there … Continue reading When the bubble pops
Sometimes I cry. I cry long and I cry hard. My body shakes, the tears come until I'm dry and my stomach knots until it gives. My hands grip whatever piece of fabric feels most like him until my nails embed into my skin and my knuckles ache white. My eyes swell and my throat … Continue reading This is my way
After writing yesterday's piece, "Learning how to win again" I've done a lot of thinking. This is a pattern I have, and from speaking with others, countless sessions with a grief counselor and reading about grief, it seems it's a fairly common pattern for those dealing with loss. I started feeling guilty. I felt guilty … Continue reading Learning how to win again: update
Parenting Angels 