By Wendi Deines, guest columnist Today, my aunt Jennifer, your regular columnist, and her oldest sister, my mom, are headed to Arizona. They plan to join another sister and help their second oldest sister, who fell and fractured her hip and ankle a day before her 80th birthday. Since Jennifer has been a special part of my life in so many ways, and the challenges … [Read more...]
Learn to grow through loss
Loss, at varying levels, is prevalent in every person’s life. There is no elitism or prejudice in the world of loss; it attacks everyone. Loss involves not only death, but illness, jobs, financial security, relationships, home, personal belongings, or privacy. Having skills to work through loss is vital. People who have a protected, sheltered upbringing develop few tools to … [Read more...]
A time to be born, and a time to die
I don’t attend many funerals. Never have. It might be because my mother-in-law went to, seemingly, every funeral. Today, I think I understand why: she sincerely felt empathy for each family, she gained information and insights, and it was a legitimate excuse to go to town. This past week, I went to a Celebration of Life for a woman (let’s call her Helen) I loved and admired. … [Read more...]
Why I write
Yesterday, a woman asked me what I did. I paused because I have always answered, "I'm a mental health counselor." But, I am retired; I WAS a counselor. Therefore I replied, "I'm a writer." She said, "Oh, really, what do you write?" Again, I paused because I write about many things. I said, "I'm an author of a book about my client's stories and what I learned from them, I … [Read more...]