Everyone experiences trying times in his or her life. And on many of those occasions, human nature takes over, and we mentally utter what might be the oldest question in the history of mankind, “Why?” Sometimes, it is said in a truly puzzled tone and other times it is snarled in a voice demanding an instant answer, and an apology, from the universe. But in all of these cases, we feel that our predicament…
My father passed on Sept 1, 2001, and I won’t lie and say that a part of me wasn’t ready but the little girl who just lost her lifetime hero still wanted to understand why. Another part of my sadness was because of my son who would turn 11 in less than two weeks. He had lost one grandpa just before Christmas in 2000, and now his other grandpa and best buddy had passed just…
When my father passed, we placed a bench in his favorite state park as a memorial. It overlooks a small stream and is surrounded by massive trees. At some point, he learned the very important lesson that there is so much serenity to be found when surrounded by nature. It is a pure connection to the world that has been displaced by electronics, multitasking and the desire to always accomplish more. He knew that…
Here are some inspirational quotes I thought you might all enjoy: -No one else makes you free but God and yourself -Life is a balancing act…hold steady -Laughter: The Best cure for sadness -Nobody else makes who you are -Mothers: The Best Medicine -Grandmothers make the best hugs -Come here! Let me give you a hug! -Hugs and kisses cure everything -Prayers cure everything -Smile, I love you! Love cures everything -Life is a…
On the morning of September 11, 2001, and for a period of time that was either hours or an eternity- I can’t remember- we didn’t know where my brother was. We knew he was somewhere in lower Manhattan, where he attended Stuyvesant High School. Like any regular 14-year-old kid, most of the time he’d go right to school in the morning, and *other* times he’d run around with friends in the neighborhood first, or…
It can be truly amazing how much a person can love another person. And yet sadly we do not fully comprehend the depth and completeness of that love until we are faced with living without it. And when I say without it, I really mean without the earthly reminder of it when we see that person or hear their voice. This kind of love is not really limited to the short-term capabilities of the…
“I feel that my work in progress has progressed to its final page and someone has glued it to the cover because there’s no more to be written,” she said to me in one of our many, many email conversations. It took me some time to process the gravity of her eloquent words as she tried to gently prepare me for the future. I needed to find a way to translate the feelings in my…
My father has been gone for over 15 years, but I learned a new lesson from him today, or maybe I was just finally able to understand the lesson. Dad was a child of the depression and although the stories of his childhood always sounded like great adventures when I heard them as a child, I now have finally grasped the truth about his challenging childhood. If it can be called a childhood. His…
Thank you Michelle C. for sharing this great bit of insight… For most of us, life is fairly hectic and squeezing in time for chores such as wiping fingerprints from the microwave handle and the refrigerator door can become very frustrating. As Michelle pointed out, she was the only one who would take the time to get a towel and wipe down the appliances. And this frustration can make it easy to wish that…
I wanted to take a few minutes to thank you for a very special gift that and only you could have given me. I’m not sure that you recall the story of my dad’s brother Wally, and the fact that he was killed in WWII. But it was a story that each of us kids learned more from overhearing grownups talking than from a discussing with Dad. In time, as we each reached an…