On Blaming Others: The Insidious Nature of Blame July 25, 2014 • 5 Comments There are a lot of pieces to my story that I have not shared yet. Some things are in the book, others I am still working through and processing. It continues to amaze me how long it takes to make sense of the emotions and pain that go along with suicide. One aspect I have not spoken much about here…
The Power of Writing as a Creative Therapy for Healing July 21, 2014 • 0 Comments Writing a blog is not unlike the age-old practice of keeping a journal. The major difference being that one doesn’t necessarily want anyone to happen upon the contents contained in the pages of a journal, where one has high hopes that many folks will in fact read a blog post. I believe the magic of a journal is this: in…
My Story, Your Story: On Coping with Loss and Beginning Again July 18, 2014 • 17 Comments I have been revisiting some of my blog posts this summer and when I came across this one I knew I had to re-post it. I wrote it at the beginning of this blogging journey. It clearly details my “why” and comes straight from my broken heart and wounded soul. I needed to be reminded of these precious things and…
A Mindfulness Exercise to Stop Chasing Mental Butterflies July 14, 2014 • 0 Comments “While stupid suffering is often born out of fear, wise suffering is typically stirred up by love. The dumb, unproductive stuff comes from allowing yourself to be controlled by your early conditioning and from doing things that are out of harmony with your essence. The smart, useful variety arises out of an intention to approach life as an interesting work…
Dealing with Loss: Healing Through Mentoring and Conversation July 11, 2014 • 0 Comments It is difficult to believe that it has been a year since my singing debut and fiftieth birthday. So much has happened since then, and of course it means another year sandwiched between the life changing summer and the present. In many ways, it seems like yesterday, in others, another lifetime. As the fourth year passes, I find that I…
Summer Days + Gluten-Free Blueberry Crisp Recipe July 4, 2014 • 3 Comments I ran this post about this time last year and I felt it necessary to break it out again because the lazy days of Summer are upon us and they go well with this delicious gluten-free Blueberry Crisp. As I tweak some of my favorite recipes to accommodate a healthier diet, I have to admit that I hanker for the…
The Healing Gift Contained Within Our Emotional Wounds June 30, 2014 • 0 Comments Don’t let your wounds make you someone you are not. The above thought came to me when I was trying to figure out what exactly I am doing with all this writing and bound up desire to share my story. Sometimes, it seems like such craziness. I mean, I am up against some pretty big odds here and every so…
How Back Pain Mirrors Our Emotional Suffering June 27, 2014 • 0 Comments This week, for the first time in a long while, I was actually able to bend over without grimacing and holding my breath due to lower back pain. This has been troubling me for years, but I have always been able to beat it back to a tolerable place via acupuncture, massage and/or chiropractic care. On my flight to New…
Talking to Children About Death: Healing and Conversation June 23, 2014 • 2 Comments Last week I had the opportunity to share my story with a wonderful group of people who graciously allowed me to unfurl before them. I really enjoy this kind of interaction with small groups. Answering questions forces me to dig deeper into what I have learned and how it might apply to the others dealing with loss. It is very…
Using Equine Principles to Train the Human Mind June 20, 2014 • 2 Comments Last week, I had dinner with the woman who has been caring for one of my horses. I always love seeing her even though it brings up the deep sadness I harbor about having to give up my equine companions. There are certain parts of my story, and this is one of them, that I prefer not to visit all…