Category Archives: family

An Unexpected Ritual

In times of great need, I’ve always relied on personal ceremony to bring me back from the brink. But a few years ago after my sweetheart moved 9 hours away from home, I was beyond distressed. Fortunately, my 18-year-old son Gabe came to my rescue. I was supportive of my partner’s move. I wanted for […]

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When life gets intense…

I spent last week visiting my mom in Iowa as she celebrated her 93rd birthday. Although she is (finally) beginning to slow down, her mind is crystal clear and my siblings and I felt fortunate to have some time together with her. My brother flew in from the east coast, my sister flew in from […]

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Celebrating 90 Years

How do you honour a woman who has lived for 90 years? That was the puzzle my siblings and I were trying to solve when we met in Iowa (2 years ago) to celebrate our mother’s 90th birthday. My mom had requested a small family gathering so my sister and my brother and I flew […]

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Finding Endearment

When I was young I hated poinsettias. They were everywhere at Christmas and I thought they were gaudy. After Christmas people would hang onto them for months and I would notice them crowded with other plants in the corners of their homes wilting and gathering dust. I’m not sure when I started to see them […]

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Mealtime Ritual

When I was a child our family would sit down for lunch together every Sunday after church. My father would always say the grace. “God bless this food to our use and us to thy service and make us ever mindful of the needs of others.” As a child the words got all slurred in […]

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Creating Moments

Have you ever attended a celebration where nothing special was said? The invitations were sent, the food was prepared, the guests arrived, the party was in full swing and you wondered when the guest of honour was going to be acknowledged but sadly, it never happened. It’s so easy to miss the moment and it […]

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Back from the Brink

In times of great need, I’ve always relied on ceremonies that I’ve created for myself to bring me back from the brink. But 2 years ago after my sweetheart moved 9 hours away from home, I was beyond distressed. Fortunately, my 18 year old son Gabe came to my rescue. I was supportive of my […]

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I Choose

Last week, my family met in Iowa to gather around my 93 year old father’s bedside as he was moving towards death. Those days of vigil were so beautiful. We held his hand and talked to him, my mother sang to him, we all sang together, the minister visited (he sang with us too), the […]

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Mother’s Day Connection

It was such a sweet moment last weekend when my mother-in-law reached out to hold my hand. I lingered in that feeling of love. The last time I saw her was more than 7 years ago when my marriage ended. I was able to cultivate a newly defined relationship with my ex-husband but his family, […]

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What I’ve Learned From Linden

I’ve been spending this week with my 18-month old grandson while his mom is away on a trip. It’s their first time apart! In the days leading up to his visit, I was reading a chapter on parenting in Brene Brown’s book, “Daring Greatly”. I identify with being what Brene calls an “engaged, imperfect (grand)parent”. […]

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