Creative Grief: The Wind Phone Connection – Part II
With the first hint of early spring, my writing group hustled to make our dream of building our own Wind Phone at the independent senior-living center where I worked a reality. Kay Cox took the lead: She designed the sketch for our proposed Wind Phone, she purchased a vintage phone online, and she even found […]
Tragic loss and photo memories
When in mourning, time passes fast, time passes slow.Are pictures supposed to comfort the yearning?Photos capture static joybut in loss they bring no easing. She is gone, will time spinand stir a mind to heal.And gather strength no one should needaching for a soul that crossed the mortal veil. Her pictures surprise your eye with a visceral rot.Bores a hole in your mindthat has no measure.Run away, your instincts failed. Try! You must try to confront the loss,find the hope sliver in an image.See everything’s the samewhile everything’s different. And stand firm in your loss, it’s ok to hurt.The universe showered
When Three Months Became Five Years
Some stories return to you over time. Not all at once, but quietly, sometimes years later, after life has given you more experiences and unique way of understanding them. This is one of those stories. I first heard it nearly fifty years ago, when I was a young mother juggling several part-time jobs. One of those jobs involved interviewing family members of recently deceased elderly individuals for a Department of Health study about quality of life near the end of life. Each interview began the same way. I would receive a death certificate, locate the next of kin, and ask questions
Please don’t tilt your head
Please don’t tilt your headand ask us if we’re okay. His heart has stopped beating.His body is starting to decay.No words can make that easier. He was here. And then suddenly,he was not. We don’t want to forget himor accept this, not today.We still can’t quite believehe’s really gone away. Danny, we are angry with you.Your life should not have stopped like this.Too much to live for,so much left to come. But nowyou will never see another rising sun. Your eyes are closed now,the hurt beyond repair.You are gone. But we will make sureyour memory lives on.Through laughter and music,we’ll speak
