Grief and loss
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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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Love and goodbye
“Grief is the price we pay for love.” ~Queen Elizabeth II Watching the beautiful funeral ceremonies for Queen Elizabeth II yesterday, I got to thinking about the many ways that love opens us to the possibility of loss. Throughout our lives, we lose close friends who move away. As we age, our parents slow down. As our kids and grandkids grow up, we feel another kind of loss as we watch childhood give way to adulthood. Each time I wave goodbye — when a car filled with loved ones is backing out of my driveway, or I’m leaving a dear friend at a restaurant — a twinge of sadness tugs…
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September memories of Mom
“There’s a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother’s story, because hers is where yours begin.” ~Mitch Albom, One More Day September is a bittersweet month — a month of longer shadows, golden light, shorter evenings, and rich, poignant sunsets. It’s the month when cottages are closed for the summer, school resumes, sweaters are pulled from storage, and autumn officially begins. In a way that only September can do, it feels like both a beginning and an ending. September 20…
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Emotional baggage or timeless treasure?
“If a gift has come to you wrapped in obligations and tied tightly with a ribbon of guilt, then it’s not really a gift at all.” ~Peter Walsh, professional organizer Organizing an estate sale is probably one of the toughest things we have to do after our parents die. If your folks collected as many family heirlooms as mine did, you’ll face the emotionally loaded task of deciding which items to keep and which ones to sell or give away. And what happens when your grown kids don’t want to inherit the family treasures? For starters, it helps to learn and understand the generational differences in what we value. My…
