Kate McGrath
My journey began on March 22, 1986. There is nothing any more or less significant about my story than there is another person’s story; however, my story is unique nonetheless. I am twenty-four years old, a graduate student working towards a degree in Mental Health Counseling with a concentration in Thanatology, and an admirer of the simple gifts in life: refreshingly cool air, hot apple cider, the way leaves pick up and float gently in the air. My story has had its share of challenging moments, one of which was the loss of my older brother and only sibling, John. John was involved in an alcohol related motor vehicle accident. This event has undoubtedly shaped who I am today and who I want to become, professionally speaking, in my future. Grief, I have found, has an uncanny sense of humor – it can shake you to your core and simultaneously help you to see more clearly the importance of each day. While the death of my brother is a significant chapter in my life story, I have grown from that tragic experience and have come to realize that because of that chapter, I am at a place where I doubt I would be had my brother not died. I am grateful for the gift of my life; along with the many experiences I have had thus far – the bitter and the sweet, and have found that often, the bitter moments are what make life more significant. If my life had involved only moments of joy and happiness, I wonder if I would be able to recognize that individual quirks of others, someone’s voice, even the way someone’s clothes smell, are indeed memories to hold onto – from my experience, I believe those would have been taken for granted. All chapters in my life have been formative – and for all of those, I am grateful.
Articles:
Falling into Autumn, Season of Bitter and Sweet
The air has changed. Rather than being sun-kissed by the warmth of the day during the summer months, the crisp air of fall is an invigorating embrace which envelopes me […]
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Picture Me a Memory: Old Photos are Stirring
On a recent trip to Italy, I developed an interest in photography. There were simply too many picture-perfect moments that I had to honor with the click of my camera. […]
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‘I’ll Take a Christmas Tree, Stocking and Kleenex for the Road’
The halls are decked out with glittered-things galore, our stockings are hung on the mantle with care, and one Christmas tree is glimmering – trimmed to the top because of […]
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Multiple Meanings for the Pietà
Art and music have a way of touching me in a way that words do not. I have always found much solace in seeing brilliant colors like cerulean paired with […]
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Avoiding the Holiday Hum ‘Bug’
Thanksgiving has left me full and tired. I am full – not only of turkey, dressing, and mashed potatoes, but with gratitude and thanksgiving for family and friends. I am […]
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Turkey, Cranberry Sauce and Memories
The holiday season has arrived and I welcome it! I open my arms to the experience of feeling excited and simultaneously having the sensation of a throat constricting grief – […]
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