As I embark on a second tattoo I am often asked, “Why would you put yourself through so much pain?” As I listen for my answer, I’m flooded with various images of painful activities that I’ve chosen to endure. I retort with, “Pain is temporary, but the ‘result’ is forever.” So what is the ‘result’ […]
Five-days beaching with Anthony at the Jersey Shore led us to rings of engagement. Two floating rings—a silver ring for friendship; a gold ring for love—now hang from our ears. We’re engaged in a 1614 Corinthian quote, “All that we do be done in (friendship and) love.” The playful division of an earring pair on […]
My sister’s last days, once released from the COVID ward, was in an induced coma on a respirator. We all wondered if she could hear us talking at her bedside? And, I for one, continue to wonder if she can hear now that she’s dead? On the welcome table of my sister’s thrift shop, now […]
When my only sister and sibling died this year, I mourned the comfort of sisterhood. This ending of sisterly familiarity, understanding and inclusion gave rise to a new kind of sisterhood. Feminine UNITY, VISION, and BEAUTY. When death creates an opening, a blank canvas replaces it inviting new life. In the past month a cocoon […]
COVID split my heart in half when my sister died of it 3-months ago. It felt as if I couldn’t hold my heart together. But 1-year ago today, my heart was also cracked open, allowing love to flow into it so freely and fully. It felt then as well that I couldn’t hold it together. […]
We all cringe when assaulted with hurtful words. Angry daggers spew from desperate mouths in an effort to pacify their underlying fears. These sharp daggers puncture holes in relationships; and, they bury the respect and care that once created unity. A silent scream contracts my neck as I sleep. I wake up to the physical […]
Neck Pain and Overwhelm! You are NOT your body’s pain, but it can sure feel like it when pain strikes! Neck pain is often a precursor to other physical pain because it forms the narrow intersection between mind and body. As your mind gets busier, stimuli through this narrow intersection gets flooded. Headaches, moodiness, […]
It’s the morning after my sister’s funeral and I’m relieved I took the day off. Exhaustion plagues my body and I’m keenly aware of a black hole in my gut. It’s a deep chasm of sadness and heartache. To be expected, I thought. This must be what grieving feels like. Days passed. Everyday I had […]
As I float on a train through backyards filled with yesterday’s snow, I prepare myself for my sister’s 6pm death. The creep-factor of the extended days on a ventilator are pacified by her healthy organs being paired for donation. She will die a hero. I wonder… when a ventilator keeps a body alive does our […]
As my sister remains hooked up to oxygen day after day, week after week, with Covid double pneumonia, I realize the richness of each breath I take. My sister is instructed to lye on her stomach with the oxygen mask adhered to her face to give her lungs the freedom to inflate. In tandem, bent […]