Five years ago, my kids’ dad died.  Their father died from pancreas cancer.  I did not know what it was like to lose a parent. Both my parents were still living.  They were still married …

After my father, Bishop Frank L. Robertson (Brother Frank), retired from the Episcopacy of the United Methodist Church, he was asked to be the founding pastor of a new church on St. Simons Island, Georgia.
He …

A few weeks ago, it was my father’s birthday.  Although he died 38 years ago, his memory is always in my heart. And it is in these days — anniversaries, birthdays, Father’s Day – that his …

I see my mother everywhere. Though I never looked like her, I can now see a physical resemblance and so many of my qualities remind me of her. Not so for my dad. Everyone said …

My father was an immigrant who came to the United States when he was 15 years old. As he did not speak a word of English, he joined the kindergarteners in learning the language. Each …

Father’s Day in 2007 was one of the real highlights of the relationship I had with my dad.  Mom had died in May, 2007. Dad was wearing out (he was 94), but hung on until …

On Friday, November 5, 1999, as the sun rose over the ocean at St. Simons Island, Georgia, my mother, LuReese Watson Robertson, quietly yielded her spirit to God’s eternal care.  The week before had been …

I sat with my father for the last time on Thursday, the 18th of December, 2008. His condition was not much different from the past several days; he was sleeping and unresponsive. For so many …

My mother, Sadie B. Roberts, died on March 11, 1994 at the age of 77, due to complications arising from a massive bacterial infection. She died less than 24 hours after being admitted to the …

Mother’s Day had been one of the most dreaded days of my life for a long time – until I learned that guilt can be overcome and forgiveness can take place after the death of …

A woman I know recently wrote me an email that read…
“Little children, I remember… I wonder… was it really me and was it really them?”
This little comment struck me because I’ve mused in this very …

Every year on the morning of Mother’s Day, I cry.
On this special day, I’m greeted with a huge dimpled smile from our daughter Dempsey, who sneaks into our room, usually with a present she has …

As Mother’s Day approaches, we find ourselves thinking about the relationship that started it all, and about our need to honor the woman who helped to make the world a better place. Indeed, perhaps the …

Mother’s Day has to be one of the worst days of the year if you have already lost, or are in the midst of losing, your mom.
Wherever you go, there are reminders that your mom …

How does someone pick up the pieces after losing a spouse and child in a tragic car accident that involved their whole family?  Sheri Boekweg-Nelson of Plain City, Utah, and her two kids survived this …

It is the third of December 2008. I sit by my dad’s bedside, holding his hand and watching him breathe, holding my breath as his stops for several seconds, only exhaling when he finally takes …