Hello Reader and Friend. I would like to say that I put up this post shortly after the first part of my overview and thoughts on Mel Robbins’ video “8 Things to Tell Yourself Every Morning,” but (sigh) here I am, having taken a little longer than I planned. My schedule is sporadic and I…
🎄Our First Christmas Together: A Memory From 1996 Bill and I were married 22 years. We knew each other for 26.That’s a lot of Christmases. At the time I’m writing this, it’s December, and this will be my fourth Christmas season since Bill went Home. When thinking through all the Christmases we shared, it was…
Hello Friend! It’s a new day. Let’s Retrain Your Brain. How does your day normally start? Unfortunately, mine pretty much starts, most days, by waking up 30 minutes before my alarm goes off. You know that perfect amount of time that is long enough to go back to sleep but too short that by the…
What to Do When a Spouse Dies (Part One of the “Heart After Loss” Series) I don’t love talking about this part of my life, but it’s one of the main reasons I created this space.I want to share my faith, my stories, my life with Bill, our daughter, and the pieces of my journey…
🌾 When the Ordinary Moments Bring You to Tears This morning, I was making a chocolate chai latte (from a packet 😁) when I started thinking about a recipe I used to make years ago. (Chocolate Magic Mud Pudding) I stood on my toes and reached up into my cabinet above the stove where all…
Sweet November: Classic Small‑Batch Apple Crisp (For One or Two) There’s something about the smell of baked apples, butter, and cinnamon that feels like a prayer of gratitude. This easy, small‑batch apple crisp is my cozy November favorite, simple, golden, and just enough for one or two. It’s mostly made with flour, so it’s soft…
How to Feel Better While Grieving: 10 Gentle Ways to Lift Your Spirit Grief can make everything feel heavy, even the smallest things like getting dressed or making coffee. It’s easy to think nothing will help, but I’ve learned that little things do matter. Sometimes healing begins in the smallest, simplest steps, the kind that…
The Gold Belt or the Silver Belt: The Night of Our First Date Numbers.Bill and I were 3 years and 8 months apart in age. I don’t know why I wanted to open with this, but I never forget those numbers. July 13, 1996 – the night we metJuly 20, 1996 – our first dateJuly…
Letting go and healing when a spouse dies is a process. Grief is unlike anything I’ve ever been through. It fits into its own category. It’s not a straight line or a five-box checklist. Most people move back and forth between feeling their loss and rebuilding daily life, sometimes in the same hour. That “whiplash”…
It’s been 4 years and 2 months since my husband, Bill, passed away. I’m flashing forward quite a bit and I have so much to talk about. So much. I’m writing in the moment. But this moment is something I’ve experienced probably 90% of the time he’s been gone. I don’t know how much…