Tag: grief
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A Way Home
Ashesmore like sand in a plastic box inside a cardboard cartonwith his name printedon the label.That’s all.Ninety minutes of brake! andaccelerate!on the four-lane,again at the four-ways and traffic lightson the snakingdetours.I watch my estimatedarrival timetick past the appointment time and inchtoward the 4:00 closing time. I call,shouting into the car speakerthat I’ll be late. She…
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Guest Post: “What Good” by Sally Shideler
Earlier this month, my husband, Jerry Miller, passed away unexpectedly. In the ensuing chaos, confusion, and grief, I’m turning over my blog space this week to a guest post. Please enjoy the poem “What Good,” by my daughter, Sally Shideler, as she processes the loss of her stepfather and second dad: What good isa handmade…
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Carrying On
Carrying on Morning devotionsMorning Bible readingMorning prayer I’m keeping theroutine. But Lord,I’m hurting:I’m lonely, I’m sad,I’m afraid. I hear that frog croaking,the spring peeper outsidemy back window,and I wonder howI’ll do the hard stuff.How will I removeanother dried-upfrog stuck in thedoorjamb, likelast year? Last year, when Jerry did it. My lists seem overwhelming.I cross off…
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My Go-To Stress-Busting Strategy
Simple knee pain that resulted in a week’s hospitalization, nights of pseudo-sleep curled into a hard, narrow futon, and protracted, increasingly urgent advocacy. A nagging fatigue that turned into a two-week-plus hospital stay, featuring an invasive test, major surgery, and endless observations. A subsequent heart-wrenching death in the family. And then the endless waiting… No…
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Knowing
Heavy, heavy heart shoving me downward, pushing me into cold darkness, alone. I am trapped, confined, pinned under a weight I can never lift. The bitter knowledge engulfs, seeps into my broken spirit, forces surrender. My eyes spill their tears, my lips both quiver. I cannot stop. I grieve for your loss … and for…