Blog

Twelve Rituals That Marked My Way: 2014

On December 30, 2014 / Bereavement and End of Life, Creativity, Spirituality / 14 Comments

Rituals focus my attention and bring a sacred sense to life. Personal rituals help me honor the things for which I’m grateful–friendship, family, the earth, and bereavement and grief work. In this spirit, I look back at rituals

Three Lessons about Loss from my TEDx Talk

On December 16, 2014 / Bereavement and End of Life, Creativity / 10 Comments

“Yes,” I said in May 2014 when I received a red-lettered invitation from TEDx Chemung River I had applied the month before. “Sure, I’ll figure out how to give a TEDx talk. November 8 is five months away. Plenty of time. I’ll

Long Distance Love

On December 9, 2014 / Bereavement and End of Life, Family and Friends / 21 Comments

“Why?” I moaned. “You’ve been gone over a month. The kids and I miss you. I’m lonely.” “E, I’m sorry,” Vic said from somewhere in Israel where he was doing research. “I’ll only be away a few days

A Woman’s Hands

On December 2, 2014 / Bereavement and End of Life, Creativity / 27 Comments

These hands aren’t girlish pink and plump, but the palms are smooth and soft. Not ancient hands, but aging hands. No arthritic swellings or broken joints. No aches when typing, chopping, or loading firewood. They are my able

Give Thanks for the Teachings of Trees

On November 25, 2014 / Bereavement and End of Life, Nature / 22 Comments

November grief has a sharp edge. Six years after my husband Vic’s death, I still struggle with holidays. I know I’m not the only one. Sorrow needs space this time of year. Since hiding makes me sadder, I

A Love Note from Beyond

On November 11, 2014 / Bereavement and End of Life, Creativity / 44 Comments

I needed to calm down. I needed faith in my stamina for a TEDx talk. My mind felt blurry, on the edge of dizzy. I had practiced the talk with a friend that day and delivered my

My Meetup with Little TED: How I prepared for a TEDx Talk

On November 4, 2014 / Creativity, Writing and Social Media / 42 Comments

I have a date with TEDx. Nov. 8 at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY. Our meetup was arranged by TEDx Chemung River. TED (Technology, Education, and Design) is a global nonprofit committed to the power of shared ideas,

A Painting, a Pyramid, and my Longing

On October 28, 2014 / Creativity, Family and Friends, My Land and Home / 23 Comments

“I brought you a gift,” my daughter-in-law Liz said the day after the launch party for Leaning into Love. She seemed unusually shy. “Really, Liz? Another gift? You gave me the gift of driving from North Carolina to

Nature’s Seasons of Grief and Hope

On October 21, 2014 / Bereavement and End of Life, Creativity, Nature / 20 Comments

My husband’s death left me with tears and longing, but Nature soothed me. I walked the trails of my land and felt supported during the hardest transition of my life. Like the first crocus of spring or the last Monarch butterfly

A Book Launch, an Engagement, and a Pyramid

On October 7, 2014 / Creativity, Family and Friends, My Land and Home / 24 Comments

My family enjoys extravaganzas. It was my husband Vic’s style. If you can’t celebrate in a big way, why bother? I remember my surprise birthday party staged by Vic in 1968. Friends walked down the hill toward our Cayuga