Grief and loss
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Goodbye to Mom’s house
“No matter how far we’ve come, our parents are always in us.” ~ Brad Meltzer Even after we’ve grown up and moved on, the homes of our parents still hold many of our family memories and stories. If you’ve lost both of your parents, you know that the process of selling their last home — and the things they’ve accumulated — is one of the toughest parts of the grieving process. Yet it can be therapeutic, too. My latest column in The Sunday Oakland Press Homefront section addresses this bittersweet topic. You’ll find it in the Sunday print edition tomorrow (March 5) or you can read it online here. ~CL
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Where the light enters
“The wound is the place where the light enters you.” ~Rumi I spend a lot of time thinking about the quotes I post here each morning. First, I hope they’re thought-provoking, informative, or useful to you in some way. Many of you have emailed to tell me you want a dose of positivity to jumpstart your day, so I try to honor that request whenever possible. At the same time, I think it’s important to consider whether or not each quote or sentiment is in sync with the news of the day or the cultural climate. After the war in Ukraine began, after the school shooting in Oxford, and after…
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Those who comfort us
“Do not believe that the person who is trying to offer you solace lives his life effortlessly among the simple and quiet words that might occasionally comfort you. His life also is filled with much hardship and sadness….But if it were otherwise, he could never have found these words.” ~Rainer Maria Rilke in Letters on Life When we were kids, our parents and grandparents were the superheroes who chased monsters out of our closets and kept us safe. We didn’t realize, until we grew up, that our all-powerful folks were human beings who had their own worries and demons to battle. It’s tempting to assume that the people we always rely on…
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The shadow of regret
“If only … These two words paired together create one of the saddest phrases in the English language.” ~Marc Chernoff, Marc & Angel Hack Life One of the toughest topics to address in every human life is regret. We all have a list of regrets, whether or not we want to admit them or share them aloud with others. There are things we wish we could do over. Roads we wanted to travel but couldn’t. Words we wish we’d said … but didn’t. In his wonderful blog this week, Marc Chernoff shared a post titled “30 Regrets You Don’t Want to Have in 30 Years” — and I can’t recommend…
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When one door closes …
“When certain people walk away from you, and certain opportunities close their doors on you, there is no need to hold on to them. If they close you out, take it as a direct indication that these people, circumstances, or opportunities are not part of the next chapter in your life. It’s a hint that your growth requires someone different or something more, and life is simply making room.” ~Marc & Angel Hack Life I’ve faced a lot of closed doors, having worked in journalism for more than 35 years. It’s the nature of this ever-evolving business. (Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to work in a field…
