When a person hears the words, “You have cancer,” there is an overwhelming rush of thoughts that include, disbelief, confusion, shock, and many more descriptors. However, once the shock has been worked through, reality sets in, and you immediately go into survival mode to find answers. The waiting is a horrible period, and before Lyn had her…
Category: A Family Journey
Cancer, Faith, Grief, and Healing
Five Years: Life is Beautiful
It has been a year since I have written an article. It is not due to a lack of desire, or a lack of possible topics, but more due to the amazing and beautiful things happening in life. Our family surpassed the five-year point since Lyn’s passing. We just went through the sixth Thanksgiving, Christmas,…
Creating Your Own Sunshine When It’s Cloudy
Creating Your Own Sunshine Happy New Year? As we move from one year to the next it’s natural for nearly all of us to greet people with, “Happy New Year.” For the majority, the start of the new year is filled with hope, anticipation, resolution, and positivity. However, for others, and especially those going through illness,…
It’s Okay to Move Beyond Tears and Emotion
Since my first post in 2019, my desire has been to post thoughts pertaining to me and our family), and to never come across as an expert on grief, to tell others how to feel, or what they should be doing. Everyone’s story is unique, it is therefore very personal. As such, we all experience…
Replacing the Days of Heartache with Good Memories
All of us have particular days from the past that give us heartache. It might be an accident, a death, or a day when bad news was received. These days are etched in our minds, and the grief that some feel makes it nearly impossible to enjoy the day. Many previous posts have focused on…
The Puzzle Pieces of Life
If you could see the future, and choose to know how life ends up ahead of time, would you make that choice? Many would, but I am one that would never want to know the future. While it might be fun to know in advance the winning numbers of the lottery, I cannot imagine knowing…
A Healthy Look at Life and Death
My grandmother passed away last year at nearly 99 years old! She was an amazing and strong woman, that saw and experienced so many changes over nearly 100 years. Everyone in our family felt she would be with us forever! She lived a full life. While we knew immortality was not a reality, she had…
Parting with Personal Belongings After a Spouse Passes
When one is in the middle of a crisis, it can be a very dark time. It can be difficult to see through the darkness because you are so confused from what has transpired, and your world is completely turned upside down, and unrecognizable. All your plans in life are placed on hold, and you…
Becoming Stronger by Being Vulnerable
As I have written this blog for the past three years, I have tried to be as vulnerable and transparent as possible. A retired friend (also a former counselor) told me in 2019, that writing about my experience was one of the best ways to work through the process of loss and grief, but most…
The Many Aspects and Sides of Grief
A friend of mine recently reminded me of words I wrote several years ago: “Our lives are not just ours. Our pain is not just ours alone. Our lives impact other lives…”. Many years ago, I taught a three-year leadership development program with an amazing group. It was through that experience, and through listening to their…