Baby Steps

‘Stating the Obvious’ alert.  Obviously it’s a challenge to keep my posts regular.  This blogging business is harder than I thought.  But that’s obviously true for much of life, you just don’t know until you know.  And you can’t know until you try.  So I’m going to give this another try. You can never be prepared for when a loved one passes.  Fact.  It falls into that category of experiences you just can’t know until Read more

By justk, ago

Phantom Limb

Grieving is a task, a finite event to be crossed off a list.  That’s how it felt.  Whenever I was conscious of my grieving I’d remind myself ‘this is where we are right now, this too shall pass’.  Wrong.  It’s a never-ending process. Don’t get me wrong, it does change.  It evolves.  The pain dulls, the anger subsides, and if you’re lucky you’re supported on the first leg of the journey through this bewildering new Read more

By justk, ago

LBD*R.I.P.

Image via Wikipedia When I was growing up the favorite hue of a favorite aunt was anything but black.  Any color was fair game for her closet.  Evenings out were cloaked in patterns of pink (hot) and varying shades of red or wine (from Beaujolais to bordeaux).  Church clothes were saturated gem tones – amethyst, lapis, citrine and amber.  I was forced to go and change one Easter because my dark palette was offensive to the Read more

By justk, ago

grief is the bully of the emotional playground

Grief is the bully of the emotional playground.  In the midst of laughter and squeals of delight it will come stomping through the sandbox; it’s shadow covering the jungle gym and monkey bars, while other feelings cling to the periphery of the chain link fence. I started taking a Flamenco class.  I’m enthralled with the intense emotions embodied in the dance.  Love and Hate wear the same flaming red, Joy and Grief come in a Read more

By justk, ago

present moment

Tonight was my seven-year old nephew’s last soccer game for the season.  I won’t keep you in suspense; they lost.  Badly.  6-0.  The other team were veterans of the league, they had played together last year, they had ‘plays’.  But before I digress into a rant about details that are beside the point, like the fact they had four coaches versus our one calling out plays and some of the kids looked to be on Read more

By justk, ago

room to mourn

Deep breath. And release.  Remove any pressure to be profound and earth shattering.  Ok. I can do that. So now what? Confess I’m feeling a little self conscious here?  I suppose that seems odd in this era of living out loud.  Every facet of life is chronicled online, once silent thoughts are tweeted to the world at large.  Opinions are posted publicly and frequently.  Sex tapes are ubiquitous.  But no one really lets it all Read more

By justk, ago