I was a youth minister when the Columbine school shooting occurred many years ago. It was my first experience with public tragedy that affected youth directly during my professional ministry. As the tragedy occurred, I knew I had a group … Continue reading
I think one of the strangest places that my journey of widowhood has taken me is this place of discovery. Discovery brought forth by the need to survive. This new place is definitely earned. I struggled to survive for so … Continue reading
Wallowing Through The Muck The boy lies in the grass with one blade Stuck between his teeth A vague sensation quickens In his young and restless heart And a bright and nameless vision Has him longing to depart … Continue reading
By Katy Hutchison – Over the years, my experience around Valentine’s Day has softened and shifted focus. The first year after my husband’s death I wanted to crawl in a hole the minute I saw that first red and pink … Continue reading
As Valentine’s Day approaches, we are all bombarded with images of romance, relationships and love. Starting in early January, it seems like every business has something to sell related to romance and is trying to capitalize on and add to … Continue reading
When Eat, Pray, Love released years back, I read it. I enjoyed it and I even read Liz Gilbert’s sequel to it and enjoyed it too. When the movie came out, I wanted to see it. I never caught it … Continue reading
Thursday will be the 21st Thanksgiving I’ve lived through following the death of my 18-month-old daughter Erin in 1990. The 12th since my wife Trici died in 1999 and the 6th since my 13-year-old son Rory died in 2005. One … Continue reading
The other day, while mindlessly driving down a narrow, fall-colored, leaf-filled neighborhood street, I noticed that Halloween decorations were beginning to appear. Pumpkins. Ghosts. Witches. And then the graveyard. I slowed down to take it all in. The Halloween graveyard. … Continue reading
The day that changed the lives of my family started with my four-year-old granddaughter, Brittany, sneaking in the front door with two little pink roses hiding behind her back. When a precious little hand reaches towards you holding something so … Continue reading
The Power in Moments I believe that some people were meant to grace us with their presence for a brief moment in time… never to be heard from again. However, the effect that they had on us in that moment … Continue reading
Embracing a Different Perspective Since my daughter Jeannine’s death at the age of 18 in March of 2003, I have undergone a radical spiritual transformation. I have learned to embrace all that is part of the universe, to help me … Continue reading
The Number 8 In Ted Andrews book, Animal Speak, there is a page devoted specifically to the meanings of numbers as they relate to our understanding of nature. The number 8 signifies, among other things, the symbol for infinity or … Continue reading
Years ago, I thought I’d be settled by now. I thought I’d have found my way. I thought, well, I thought. I imagined. I had no idea how life would be, so I thought it’d be different by now. The … Continue reading
In recent months I’ve watched tragedy unfold far away from me, in places like Norway and Japan, and very close to me in my home state of Alabama. As I watched the loss of life, I revisited my own personal … Continue reading
Mourning the loss of someone you love, adore, respect, hate, despise or have any combination of feelings towards takes time and attention, but you don’t have to just sit there and take it. Sometimes grief can cause such lethargy and … Continue reading
Christmas has ended, and the living room still has that unwrapped look. With the festivities now part of future memories, I anticipate the next hurdle: the start of a new year. The TV commercials romanticize champagne toasts illuminated by glowing candles. … Continue reading
Across the ocean’s waves, around the world Your message of sorrow came to me No matter that we’ve not met face to face, my Dear Friend, Through the written word, I know your heart as you know mine. Across the … Continue reading
“God gave us memories so we would have roses in December.” ~James M. Barrie By late 1998, I was preparing for my first holiday season without my precious daughter, Alexandria, who had died January 29, 1998 as a newborn. I … Continue reading
Question from a Reader: Since my husband died, I’ve grown used to having mood swings and waking up feeling pretty good one day and deeply depressed the next. I know these are normal grief reactions, and when one of the … Continue reading
For some people, the holidays symbolize a time of nostalgic memories, losses, and remembrance. These feelings of loss may bring grief to our souls that at times cannot be expressed or shared with others, especially when one is supposed to … Continue reading
Here it comes…and every year, earlier than ever…the dreaded arrival of the holiday television commercials. In my world, retailers hoping to extend the buying season are simply extending the length of time I have to try to ignore the sadness … Continue reading
Thanksgiving has left me full and tired. I am full – not only of turkey, dressing, and mashed potatoes, but with gratitude and thanksgiving for family and friends. I am tired – exhausted from filling myself with so much food … Continue reading
Early in the morning of Sunday, July 8, 2001, the sheriff drove up to our house and the chaplain told us through the screen door that our twenty-four year old son Peter had been kicked to death by bouncers in … Continue reading
As Santa’s “ho ho ho” drifts toward us, it may not sound much too jolly if we are feeling sad. We tend to think everyone but us is happy, which is one of the biggest myths surrounding Christmas. According to … Continue reading
“Trust that you can learn from each challenge, regardless of how disturbing or painful. That is a God-given right inside of you. Invoke your right to learn from everything.” – John Morton Everyone asks what’s it like to lose a … Continue reading