I ventured into the world of book (and blog) writing to fulfill a promise to my beloved mother-in-law. Sue's bright light was extinguished on December 2, 2010, after a valiant 13-year battle with breast cancer... just five month's after her first grandchild (my daughter) was born. Now as a mother, entrepreneur, friend, sister, daughter, wife, and torch-bearer of a legacy, I paddle my boat, one wave at a time, toward that promise to her—and now to myself. In death as in life, Sue continues to motivate and inspire me. Follow me, and I'll do my best to pass the inspiration along. To life!
When was the last time you listened to a record? As in old-school vinyl on a record player? Sure mp3s, e-mails, and e-books are more convenient and less wasteful than records, letters, and books, but there’s something wonderfully tactile about the nostalgic cousins of our current forms of communication. Ryan and I discovered a bunch of … More You Spin Me Right Round
Last night Ryan and I had a date night at the symphony, triggering a severe case of “magical thinking.” Going to the symphony was a tradition Sue started for us last year. She bought us tickets to six shows for our 2010 anniversary. Sue was such an incredible fan and supporter of live performance. She … More Symphonic Resonance
It is with great excitement and appreciation that I welcome my first guest post! The following entry is from Sue’s dear friend Martha, who has become my dear friend as well. Martha e-mailed me the following note about the blog, and I was so touched that I had to share it with all of you … More Friendship Is Golden
I finished this incredibly honest and poignant book by Joan Didion yesterday. The title is what lured me in: The Year of Magical Thinking. I’ve certainly had a year like that. I know from the research for my book project, that “magical thinking” is a psychological term often associated with the bereaved. It’s especially common … More Magical Thinking
I’ll admit: It was a little intimidating coming up with Szaba’s Halloween costume after Sue set the bar so high last year. Szaba was a mere 3.5 months, and Sue was coming out to spend the holiday with us. I knew she was excited about the getaway, even though she had been feeling really crummy. … More The Halloween Gift
I’ve decided what my 30-day challenge is going to be. It morphed out of a friend’s Facebook post about 30 Characters 30 Days. That in turn, oddly enough, got me thinking about some self-exploratory art exercises I enjoyed in my favorite pregnancy book, Birthing from Within. It’s an odd combo, for sure, but inspiration is like that. … More New Perspective
I came upon this great TED talk the other day. The gist is: Think of something you’ve always wanted to do. Then promise yourself 30 days to do it. “There’s a few things I learned while doing these 30-day challenges. The first was, instead of the months flying by, forgotten, the time was much more memorable.”
I remember hearing “the holidays are hard.” I had no idea how hard, especially when the holidays are a pivot point in losing someone. The saying goes: When it rains, it pours. Well, with the drizzled onslaught of fall at my doorstep—and all the memories that come flooding back with it—I have a new appreciation … More When It Rains, It Pours
Yesterday I was going to write a post in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and talk about all the ways boobs are great and why we should look out for them. Finally, a blog post more in the spirit of Sue: funny, lighthearted, and forthright, but with a purpose. I was going to call it … More Booby Trap
I have a life-changing treasure tucked away in the “Draft” folder of my e-mail. The subject line reads: The best Xmas gift I could ever give both of us I wrote it and read it to Sue on December 2, 2010, hours before she died. In truth, I had started it a few days earlier … More “The List”
My Castle Heart Publications 