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Bravery

By on Apr 28, 2019 |

Have you ever wondered if you would be brave in a life or death situation if push came to shove? I used to wonder if I had what it would take to be courageous in the presence of being scared to death. I have had eight major surgeries in the past four years. Sometimes it feels as if all I am doing is preparing for a surgery, recovering from a surgery, only to find out I need another surgery. It is a challenge. In September 2016, I had a lumbar surgery. It was intense. When I awoke in post op the nurse asked me how I felt. I told her I felt like I had been stabbed in the back and left for dead in an alley. Her response was, “In a way, actually that is what happened.” Three weeks later my son passed away. I was still recovering from this incredibly difficult surgery when we got that call. I never felt more helpless in my life as I did in that moment. I was still at a stage of recovery...

The New World of a Bereaved Parent

By on Apr 28, 2019 |

Bereaved parents are a subset of parents. I would have never chosen to be in this special category of parents. I was very happy being a plain, vanilla parent without the drama.Now that I have been in this special group for the last 30 months, I would like to share my observations based on the fact that at this point I have literally read the words or spoken in person to thousands of bereaved parents.The first thing is one does not prepare to be in this subset. There is no planning. When becoming a parent, one has a least 8 months to start wrapping their brain around what kind of parent they might be. One becomes a bereaved parent in one, terrifying, nano second. It is like sitting in a chair and someone lighting a bomb under it. The thrust is so great, it blasts you into the air and slams you onto the floor, leaving you in a limp heap. Can you see why it takes a long time to overcome a...

Shedding Our Package

By on Apr 28, 2019 |

Have you ever put on a pair of Spanx? The longest period of time I have worn a pair is perhaps six hours. What is the longest you have worn a pair? Do you remember how they felt when you first pulled them on? A little tight but after a few minutes they started to feel normal. Then came the end of the day and it was finally time to pull them off. It was a little uncomfortable as the shedding of the constriction commenced. Little by little you were freed from the bondage until finally the Real You finally spilled out! Freedom! You tossed that balled up Spanx off to the side vowing in that moment to never wear them again. After they were discarded into a heap you felt the Real You finally able to spread out and move about freely. No longer were you concerned about what others thought about your outward shape. You stepped into your comfy, loose clothes and rejoiced in your new freedom....