Category: good grief

The story of Sheri

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, friends, good grief, Gratitude Journal 2013, Life in the cube, Midlife Crisis

My husband's friend Bob died earlier this year. My friend Sheri died earlier this week. Early in 2006, Sheri became my mentor at my new job. Shortly thereafter, Sheri became my friend. To be fair, she was pretty much everybody's friend. She was just one of those warm, kind, caring people to whom others gravitated. Need … Continue reading The story of Sheri

The story of Bob

by Karen, posted in friends, good grief

Our friend Bob showed up every weekend to bring my husband coffee—I mean, to visit his mother--at the rehab where he works. Like clockwork, he would stop in with a Dunkin Donuts coffee and an egg sandwich and twenty minutes or so of chat. He looked forward to his visits and over the years they … Continue reading The story of Bob

String theory

by Karen, posted in family, good grief, relationships

I recently attended a memorial service. I didn't know the woman who died, Mary, very well, but that didn't stop me from crying almost from the time the first words were out of the celebrant's mouth. Like Lt. Columbo said, "...death reminds you of death" (or something close to that). Not only was I sad … Continue reading String theory

The right words at the right time

by Karen, posted in Angels, family, friends, good grief, Midlife Crisis, no fear, relationships

Today, someone told me something that I really needed to hear. We have been dealing with an ongoing issue for years and things rarely go our way. This year there are some new people involved, one of whom we know from another area of our lives. These were the words: "I'm on your side." After … Continue reading The right words at the right time

Speaking your truth

by Karen, posted in Angels, family, friends, good grief, local fun, Midlife Crisis, no fear, Turning 50

Over the past several months, I've had quite a lot to say about turning 50 this year to quite a lot of people. That was then. Several months ago, heck, even several weeks ago, it seemed so far off in the future. This is now. Now, it's looming large, and for some reason, I'm finding … Continue reading Speaking your truth

Angels dropping a dime

by Karen, posted in Angels, family, friends, good grief

I dreamed about my mother last night. We were in the house she grew up in and ultimately died in. We were standing together on the back porch, looking out at the snow-covered street. It was very sunny and bright, and we were watching a plow making its way through the snow drifts, clearing a … Continue reading Angels dropping a dime

Susan Conley at Kennebooks

by Karen, posted in books, friends, good grief, health, local fun, no fear, relationships, writing

Susan Conley recently came to Kennebooks to read from her book, The Foremost Good Fortune. Susan is a Mainer, raised in Woolwich. In addition to being a great writer, she is also a great reader. Maybe this is because (as we learned in her talk) Susan is a poetry teacher, and when she reads passages … Continue reading Susan Conley at Kennebooks

Angels at the beach

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, books, family, good grief, local fun, Midlife Crisis, relationships

I was walking at the beach with my daughter and my husband the other day. I was thinking about how big she'd gotten, which led to thoughts of her at different ages throughout the years, and how I received that sign from my dad that I was pregnant with her. Of course, thinking about one … Continue reading Angels at the beach

Pennies from heaven

by Karen, posted in family, good grief, relationships, tweens

Ever heard that our loved ones that have died sometimes come back to visit and when they do, they often leave clues for us that they are/have been here? There's even a poem written about it! Well, this week I've found pennies on the floor in my house unexpectedly on three separate occasions. It reminded … Continue reading Pennies from heaven

A (working) room of one’s own

by Karen, posted in family, good grief, Life in the cube, writing

As part of some, um, reorganization of staff at my place of employment, I have been given the opportunity to work from home. This will start on or before August 5, at which time Life in the Cube (as I've known it) will basically be coming to an end.  As exciting as this prospect sounds to … Continue reading A (working) room of one’s own