Oh, how I love encountering quotes scribbled on coffee shop walls. Call it coincidence, fate, morphic resonance, or pure egotistical naiveté, but they always seem to be speaking directly to me.
Case in point, this quote:
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Tag Archives: memory
Missing Somebody Today?
30 MarMemory and Place
4 Feb
Did you know the brain “geotags” memories based on location?
When you encounter a familiar place, according to a recent study, “It opens up these memory boxes and triggers a flood of old memories in vivid Technicolor, like they happened yesterday.”
In other words, memory and place are intricately linked, on a biological level. Continue reading
5 Holiday Traditions in Memory of a Loved One
15 Dec
The holidays are an emotional time, full of joy, thankfulness, wonder … and, yes, often the resurgence of grief.
It’s okay to feel sorrow amid all the merriment. As a matter of fact, you can take the fuel of that emotion and use it to propel you toward something constructive for you and your kids: a positive way to remember the person that you’re missing.
Included below are a few of my family’s favorite traditions in honor of Sue and Shirley. You certainly don’t have to do all of them, but maybe one will resonate and become a treasured annual remembrance for you and family. Continue reading
Hope and Hard Truths
6 Feb
Regardless of your political preferences, this is a refreshingly honest talk on grief (see video below) from Joe Biden to military families in mourning.
For anyone coping with a loss, I hope it will bring you some peace during this reflective time of year.
“There will come a day, I promise you, when the thought of your [lost loved one] brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye. It WILL happen. My prayer for you is, that day will come sooner than later. But … I’m telling you: It will come.” ~Joe Biden
10 Things in Honor of Sue
2 Dec
Three years ago today, we lost Sue. It hardly seems real when stated so bluntly. And yet there it is. The facts belying a long journey of emotional pitfalls, resilient hopes, and surprisingly strong motivation.
On the first anniversary, I wrote that it “wrung my soul out to dry.” That emotion has mellowed over time, though it remains poignantly poised at the heart of today. And I still “wander through those last hours like the abandoned sets of a movie.” I don’t know when or if there will ever be a year where that’s not the case.
But I do know that Sue wouldn’t want anyone to waste valuable time mourning. Alive. In this moment. Together. That’s the mantra she’d want us to have.
So rather than throwing a pity party, I do the following 10 things every year on this anniversary, in honor of her life, not death.
Inspiring Minds: Johnny Cash
6 Jun
In honor of yesterday’s release of the Johnny Cash forever stamp, here are 10 reasons why he deserves it. Prepare to be awed and inspired.
1. He worked his way up from cotton fields at age 5 to a Grammy (his first of many) at age 35.
2. He was a devoted artist, writing 1000+ songs, 60 of which were penned in the last four months of his life.
3. He recognized hardships in others, often playing free shows in jails and wearing his signature black on their behalf.
Loss and Legacy
27 MayHere are some of the many special people this community is remembering today, along with a little snapshot as to why.
I hope this project inspires you to share your own story of a loved one. Loss does not take away legacy. It simply leaves it in our hands to champion that tale.
I wish you a Memorial Day filled with the stories of a lifetime.
Want to add to this post? All are welcome. Simply post a comment below.
(She’s the beauty in the middle.)
Shorthand expert, bowling instructor, and military secretary. Always wore heels—even in her 90s. Her, her maternal grandparents, and all six of her grandparents’ children were married 50+ years.
