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An Uncommon Caregiver: Florence Nightingale’s Feathered Nursing Assistant

On March 10, 2015 / Bereavement and End of Life, Writing and Social Media / 30 Comments

I’m honored to introduce you to Ann Marie Ackermann. A mutual friend introduced me to Ann Marie because of our interest in owls as well as books. I told Ann Marie I’d had two powerful encounters with owls. She said she knew a wonderful story about

The Comfort of Small Things

On March 3, 2015 / Family and Friends, Nature / 22 Comments

When life is unsure and frightening, I look for the comfort of small things. ~ Chickadees and juncos throw back their heads to praise the dawn. They announce the joy of morning light and bring me hope

An Unexpected Gift

On February 24, 2015 / Bereavement and End of Life, Family and Friends / 23 Comments

He was lucky to get a teaching job when few were available in 1973. I was lucky to have his financial and emotional support. We were both lucky because we were in love. I was also pissed

When Dreams Tell Our Future

On February 17, 2015 / Bereavement and End of Life, Family and Friends / 29 Comments

“I had a dream last night,” my husband said in a thin raspy voice. “Really?” I said. Although he’d experienced a lifetime of vibrant dreams, he’d had few during recent months fueled by prednisone, codeine, and Ambien. “Yeah. I dreamed

I Thought I Could

On February 10, 2015 / Bereavement and End of Life, Psychology and Mythology / 22 Comments

My flight home from Florida was threatened by another winter storm on the east coast. How I miss my husband Vic at times like this. “It’s in the hands of nature and United Air,” he would say, “so we

Living with Impermanence

On January 27, 2015 / Bereavement and End of Life, Creativity / 24 Comments

“You likely have cancer,” the oncologist said to Vic. With those words, my husband and I landed in a world of crisis care and lost dreams. I was (and still am) part of a women’s mythology class that had

My Grandma’s Juicy Secret

On January 20, 2015 / Family and Friends / 24 Comments

After Mom entered an Alzheimer’s residence in 1995, I received two cardboard boxes of mementos. Her husband had found the musty crushed cartons in the basement when cleaning out Mom’s possessions. Since Mom no longer recognized what she

How My Dog Taught Me the Power of Ritual

On January 13, 2015 / Bereavement and End of Life / 14 Comments

Our ten-year-old Lab left the car reluctantly. Instead of running ahead and waiting on the dock for us to throw a stick, our water boy stood near the car door without a wag. “He has cancer,” the vet

When We Had Plans

On January 6, 2015 / Bereavement and End of Life / 34 Comments

When our two-hundred-year-old barn was in danger of falling down in 2005, we built a new one. We put large windows in the southwest corner and added pipes for plumbing. We imagined Vic would have cabin fever if he

TEDxChemungRiver: Good Grief! What I Learned from Loss

On January 3, 2015 / Bereavement and End of Life, Spirituality, Writing and Social Media / 2 Comments

There is power in grieving intentionally and purposefully. Telling her own story of loss, Elaine Mansfield explains the use of ritual as a tool for empowerment during life’s most challenging times.