I have always had a hard time calling my elders by their first name. Some people in my life will always be Mr. or Mrs. That’s just the way it is — can’t help it. Even though I’m now Mrs…to those younger than me, I cannot bring myself to call certain people in my life … More Never Grown Up
I’m actually sitting outside on my patio to write this post, thrilled at the warmth of the sunshine on my shoulders (you can hum the song if you’re old enough), and the brightness of the day. Though I was very sad that I had no daffodils to bloom this year, God did grant me the … More Spring
One of the great temptations in the grief journey is to veer off on the path of thinking: “No one knows what I’m going through.” This is a lie of the Evil one to get us to begin focusing on ourselves and take our eyes off the One who is able to carry us through … More Does anyone understand?
“Fiddler on the Roof” was our favorite movie, and Yente, the matchmaker had one of the best lines as they were all leaving their homes for a life in exile: Maybe next time, Golde, we will meet on happier occasions. Meanwhile, we suffer, we suffer, we suffer in silence! Right? Of course, right. I’ve known … More Meanwhile…We suffer
I never know when it will happen, but more often than not, it comes when someone speaks of the impact of his words on their life. It was a typical, crazy Monday at work. I had been running in every kind of direction at the library, but we had a meeting scheduled during my lunch … More I Must Decrease
I love my family — the one I was born into, and the one I married into. Visiting family was really my main focus in making a trip to Egypt. I am so grateful that my boys had six wonderful years of living near their father’s sisters and extended family, and they were just as … More Sister Widows
I was on the road a lot in November and December, as my eldest moved closer to graduation. One of the most notable events was his senior presentation. He was one in a group of five engineering students who worked together to design and present their project to a group of professional engineers. They stood … More The Life Event … Missed
Written: Oct. 24, 2016 Once again, God allowed a grief moment to be enveloped in a joy moment. It’s really been amazing how many times the joy of new babies coming into this world have surrounded the loss of Raouf in this past year. Even just the day before he passed away, we were greeted … More The Sting is Gone
Written: Oct. 17, 2016 Even if you start things before loss, they seem to still affect you afterwards. When Raouf was working as an engineer in Charlotte, NC, he and a friend both bought 7 acres of land up in the mountains and put down foundations for future homes. We eventually bought his friend’s property … More In my mind I’m gone to Carolina…
Written: July 27, 2016 I lift up my eyes to the hills–where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip–he who watches over you will not slumber…(Ps. 121) What a day this has been: I started it thinking about … More Leaving the Door Open