You were there
I took my first breath.
Knowing there would be many left.
You were there
I looked into my mother’s eyes.
It was your plan never to be denied.
You were there
I took my first steps.
You love me even …

You were a tiny little angel
Sent to me from the heavens above.
You were a soft and cuddly ball of fur
Filling my life with unconditional love.
My Precious – Holly Jolly.
Peanut and Gunner are not the same
Missing …

Today, I will take baby steps
And, hold my head high
With a prayer of hope for a smile.
Today, I will give myself a hug
And, accept that I am a human
With a prayer of hope for forgiveness.
Today, …

Has it hurt me physically?
Yes, it has.
If I could do it all over again, would I?
Yes, I would.
Would I have let someone else do it?
No, I couldn’t.
Did I comfort you in your time of need?
Yes, …

Today, I drove past my parents’ old house.  I was in my hometown visiting my best friend from high school and she needed to make a quick stop at her sister’s house.  Her sister happens …

My mother and father passed away in 2008. They had Alzheimer’s and they died 36 days apart of each other. At the time of their diagnosis, their neurologist told me that my father …

That first Valentine’s Day after Rhod died was very difficult for me. This had been our special day and now he was gone. He died on Feb 6, 1999, and eight days later it was …

My memory of Valentine’s Day is spending it among the art treasures and history of St. Valentine’s birthplace, Terni, in central Italy. It was just a few months after our seven-year-old son, Nicholas, had been …

Over the years, my experience around Valentine’s Day has softened and shifted focus.
The first year after my husband’s death, I wanted to crawl in a hole the minute I saw that first red and pink …

As Valentine’s Day approaches, we are all bombarded with images of romance, relationships and love. Starting in early January, it seems like every business has something to sell related to romance and is trying to …

Traveling backward in my mind
High on top of a mountain
Kissing with tears in our eyes
Life together had just begun.
Traveling backward in my mind
The many roads we’ve traveled
Two hearts beating as one
Never, ever to be undone.
Traveling …

When I think of grieving, I think of pain and sadness. I think of my stomach in knots, tears flowing uncontrollably and a broken heart. Joy has no place in grief at first glance.
To me, …

You were tired Daddy,
Weren’t you?
Forgive me for insisting,
You keep moving.
You were tired Daddy
When I asked you
Are you dying?
You answered with a smile.
You were tired Daddy
When my sister asked you
Daddy, are you dying?
Softening the blow, with …

I have never been one
To accept what I see
As reality for all to be.
I have always questioned
Everything I have seen
As what if, and what could be.
Mother, days before
Entering the light
You smiled with serenity.
Father, days before
Entering …

A gentle giant you were.
Heaven’s blue eyes, and
A handsome smile.
Stories of past
Written on your face.
Poems of present in your heart.
A courageous soldier
You fought for our freedom.
A loving husband and father.
Hands of strength
And, shoulders of steel.
A …

Give yourself a big pat on the back! You’ve just survived the holidays, one of the toughest times for anyone grieving a loss. Now you’re probably looking ahead and wondering how you’ll ever make it …