Oystering is the word of moment. Pull back but not surrender my kindness to others just to myself.
Read moreNothing Matters--Except This Stuff
Not a lot matters yet, these things do here and now and into the future. Grandparents and grief. Lost pregnancy and community. Mental health support for teens. Mental health first aid. Suicide. Bullying. Kindness! Working parents struggle with children and mental health.
Read moreIn Lieu of Annoying Shares & Posts-One and Done
In a week I share many links and posts. I thought I would put a weeks worth on a single link and just stay in my lane.
Read moreEmbracing Isolation
Clearly I've drank deeply from the realm of grief. I've imbued past moments and memories into my being, into my current self. I've said and know that the wound of grief has let light in.
Read moreBounty and Famine My Bookends of Grief & Isolation
Quote is from an Ezra Klein Podcast with Ruth Ozeki and help craft this post
When Donna died I flayed at finding meaning and purpose. I never gave up trying. At this moment it seems that I've lost agency too. Agency over myself and all that I am doing with regard to my work/journey. A journey of musings without witnesses.
Read moreThe Bitter Rind Of Memories
Valentines Day is Donna's birthday. I sort of made a promise that I would not harsh anyone V-Day fun, shares, and PDA's with my postings about the swirling emotions of her not being here for me to gift the hell out of her.
Read moreA Letter to Her Ashes
Some of Donna’s Ashes put to sea in Maine
I sit in my ersatz solitary confinement trying to ferret out meaning and purpose. Poking my snout into holes seeking the scent of a voice that I can harvest to resonate with others as Abbey has. There are many ghosts and just the me of me that places a Jersey Barricade in my path.
Read moreDiscovery and Reflection
The shells and stones were whole at one time. Complete in their beauty and shape. They had purpose a reason to be where they were in the ocean. They held agency and gave agency. They existed as a whole in and of themselves without need to be connected nor engaged. They were complete and self actualized.
Read moreLooking Back for Perspective
The reality that solitary’s journey is not free of pain and suffering. Freedom, liberation, and peace runs through suffering. “The self is the vehicle, that boat that takes us from loneliness to aloneness—that takes us on the journey to solitude.”
Read moreBlog Retrospective #2
Revisiting previous posts that remain valid, important, and meaningful today for those of us on a grief journey.
Read moreBlog Retrospective #1
Shell from Irish Coast
I’ve been writing about my loss and my emotional response to among a bunch of other pieces and posts. I am taking a look back because perspective is everything.
Read moreSchoolPulse and Volunteering
The goal of SchoolPulse is to boost the emotional wellbeing , individual awareness, and social competency of every student. This is done by texting them videos, podcasts, surveys, memes, SEL focused message a few times a week. Texting works. We know that especially with teens.
Read moreThe Venn of Isolation, Loneliness, and Me
Ashes Maine
“We do not know how long we have to be lonely or isolated, or how severe this must be for us to have lasting negative consequences.” Senate Special Committee on Aging June 2020
Read moreTime to Look Deeper Into My Grief: Part 2
Donna in Rome
We must to tell our stories not only for our own wellbeing and knowledge. We must share our stories to help others facing grief and mourning during and beyond our pandemic reality.
Read moreThe Fork In Road For My Grief Journey
As the world began to slowly opened up from the devastation of our collective pandemic life it became crystal clear the crushing effect of my isolation and grief for 16 months. I could not help to think this is similar to being boiled like a frog on a low simmer. Finally, I was done. Skin as raw as my emotions. My drive to create, build, and do was simply floating lifeless in the pot. Simmering.
Random acts of discovery or perhaps a divine intervention. A podcast that I am very fond of To The Best of Our Knowledge appeared in my peripheral life .
Read moreThis Is Interesting #30
5 Types of Grief, The Impact of Grief, The Pandemic and Teens Mental Health, Teens anxiety and returning to normal, and Learning to Live Without a Loved One. A look at these interesting and valuable articles.
Read moreSchool Pulse My New Volunteer Jam
Coming from the world of medical education and clinical trials I tend to lean into long-term outcomes that are durable, meaning someone is supported over time with purpose and meaning. Crisis intervention saves lives and nothing is more important. SchoolPulse can save lives and help support lives over time.
Read moreGrief Sucks & Sucks the Life Out of Us
Grief sucks. Just sucks. There’s data. Excellent clinical data that not only sucks the emotional life out of us. It sucks the actual life out of us in very biological ways. This post is my reading of an article by Ann Finkbeiner in the New York Times “What Happens in the Body During Grief”.
Read moreThe Chaos of Grief Calmed By Memories
Memories are how we learn. As we age our experience grows largely through our memories. Adults learn from experiences which become memories. New and meaningful experiences (i.e. memories) are integrated it into our consciousness. The more meaningful the experience the more deeply it is embedded into our memories.
Read moreThis is Interesting #28
Three pieces worthy of reading 1. Alan Watts on Love It’s an act of faith a gamble 2. Memories & Grief A quick hit on a brilliant piece Our past our future linked even in loss 3. Pandemic Grief Scale So troubling our future grief pandemic
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