Just Tulips
Dedicated to: My Mom Last week in my chaplaincy internship, we were asked to select a photo from a spread on the table, and write a story. Afterward, we each shared with the group and discussed how the story reflects our theology […]
Rituals & Memorials
To Hold Death in One’s Hand
Today, I found a bird on my porch. It must have flown into the window and suffered enough damage to not wake up again. A fitting day with death, I thought, just days before I depart on my journey toward chaplaincy. […]
Spreading Ashes: A Poem
As we delve into a series on the world of grief rituals, I wanted to begin by offering this poem that was written by a dear friend, Lauri Stock, after a weekend spent spreading her mother’s ashes with her family and mother’s […]
Continuation
I wrote this last week on my Dad’s 63rd birthday. 5/20/14 It’s a beautiful Spring evening in the Pacific Northwest. Sunshine is penetrating my skin, eased by a gentle breeze. Bird songs fill the air. I’m grateful to breathe in this […]
Letter to My Mother
I wrote this letter to my mother in my journal while sitting on the above rock. It had been a month and a half since she passed, and I took a solo trip to Joshua Tree National Park. Dear Mom, […]
Nature Heals (Part 1 of 4):
The Forest, The Trees Hello dear friends! This post kicks off “Nature Heals”, a four-part series exploring how nature can help develop a deeper understanding of peace through grief… There is an old saying, “Not seeing the forest for (because of) […]
5-Minutes for Compassion
“Use what seems like poison as medicine. Use your personal suffering as the path to compassion for all beings.” After my mom died, I was having so much trouble connecting with her. I was feeling lost and alone. I turned to […]
The Closure Debate
After my first post, a friend sent me a link to Nancy Berns TEDx-talk on Closure. That friend had recently lost one of her newborn twins and the video helped her find comfort in her journey with loss. I agree- it’s a […]
The Yellow Shirt
This story was shared with my sister last Friday by a friend of our mom – it touches on creating traditions and ends with a revelation on peace. “I am leaving you with a gift: peace of mind and heart. And […]
