writing

A collection of 27 posts

writing

Stop Publishing Garbage on the Internet

I'm offended by crappy writing.

writing

My Eyes, My Work

I've realized how much can change in a minute. What if something happens to my sight?

career

The Math Doesn't Work Out

I'm trying to build for the future. But will it pay off?

writing

What Is Missing

All I’m missing now is time. I still have to “fit” writing into my overall schedule.

COVID-19

When There Isn't Space

Everyone has to decide on a risk tolerance.

pandemic

To My Past Self

I learned not to apologize for my feelings.

habits

Accomplishments and Roadblocks

2021 has been a year of incredible change for me.

parenting

Telling My Son to Follow His Dreams

If I were starting now, I might have chosen a different path.

career

A New Chapter

It is a bittersweet day.

marriage

Ninety Minutes for Me

This week has been absolutely nutty. Make that last week and this week — or perhaps every day since Friday the 13th when it was also an impending full moon. That’s it. Work has been a combination of Friday the 13th, the Full Moon, and toss in Groundhog Day, for

marriage

Reclaiming the Morning

My husband and I have a long-standing arrangement on weekends. On Saturday morning, he sleeps in and I wrangle all of the kids. Up with Autumn around 6:00, breakfast for the older kids when they wander into the kitchen around 6:45… usually pancakes or waffles. By 8:00,

birthdays

The Rumbling

The first book I read after Nelle died in September of 2015 was Rising Strong by Brene Brown.  It was exactly what I needed at that time.  Brown talks about three parts of the rising strong process:  the Reckoning, the Rumble, and the Revolution.  Of the rumble, she writes:  “The

gratitude

Practicing Gratitude in Many Ways

I began seeing a therapist, Alexia, five days after Nelle was stillborn.  I remember making the phone call to a counseling services group that had been recommended to me and when asked for the reason for wanting the appointment I had to say the words out loud “Because… because my

writing

Ready to Launch

Somewhere in the middle of last year, I decided that I would write a book.  I had the content captured in my blog and my private writing, but knew that it needed to be organized and re-written and edited.  Still, it was something I wanted to pursue.In the last

SHARE

Around the Table

I took me over a year to attend my first SHARE meeting.  It was hard.  The passage of months hadn’t lessened my pain.  Speaking around a table of parents who had experienced loss did not bring me comfort.  Instead, I felt the weight of their stories and sadness.  The

honoring

Words Change the World

A few weeks ago, I submitted an essay to a website under a specific theme.  The rejection email came with a simple sentence: “Thank you but unfortunately this is not what we are looking for.”  It hurt more than it should have, as I know rejection is an unavoidable aspect

music

Where To Put Grief

This past week, I have been editing some of my own writing.  It is writing that I did in the months between losing Nelle and Iris.  I found myself tensing up as I read my own words.  I was still reeling from the pain of losing Nelle, pregnant again, terrified.

on coming alive

On Coming Alive

(After losing Iris, I joined an online grief writing course in March of 2016. For 30 days, I received an emailed prompt and could write and share it with other people enrolled in the course.  As the 30 days ended, I realized how much I needed the prompts to give

writing

The Seeker

“The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, “is to learn something. That’s the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss

sleep

Writing No Energy

No energy 2:00 am again cannot calm cannot sleep feeling nauseous worried about stress a bath sounds like too much work I love baths but cannot take one Best chance for sleep 9pm to midnight then up every hour or two up and down in and out of fitful

writing

Opening a Window

When life closes a door, it opens a window.  But if the door isn’t locked, there’s no reason you can’t just open it for yourself, right?  -unknown It is Memorial Day.  I am sitting in the backyard, with the sound of the waterfall in front of me,

parenting

Love Letter

(Note: I tried to write this on Mother’s Day, but I couldn’t. Finished it up today instead, the first day of my third trimester.) Of all the deserving mothers, this is written especially for those who are not able to hold all of their children in their arms

writing

Revenge Against Circumstance

Writing is a kind of revenge against circumstance too: bad luck, loss, pain. If you make something out of it, then you’ve no longer been bested by these events. -Louise Gluck Back in April of 2016, after completing my grief writing course, I came up with a series of

writing

Writer's Block

Earlier this week, a friend told me that I appear to be doing well, based on reading what I had written lately.  The next day, another friend said the exact same thing, almost word for word.  My response?  “Huh.  Well then I must be doing a good job of pretending

therapy

Therapy

Wednesday, September 16, 2015 Journal Entry: It has been 12 days and 19 minutes since I gave birth to Nelle.  She was born at 6:22 p.m. on September 4th and she had already left this world. I started seeing a therapist the week immediately following.  The first session,