It’s Mother’s Day in Australia tomorrow. This is a post for all of you who won’t have that perfect family moment we see in all the TV commercials…
Cycles of Life
Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else. I’ve felt that many times. My hope for all of us is that “the miles we go before we sleep” will be filled with all the feelings that come from deep caring – delight, sadness, joy, wisdom – […]
For Kate, who might read this from Heaven
I was waiting for the longest time, she said. I thought you forgot. It is hard to forget, I said, when there is such an empty space when you are gone. Brian Andreas Dear Kate, I called your number last night. It was late, and I was writing, and sipping tea, and playing music softly […]
The Minister and Sister Sinner
“Ah. I smiled. I’m not really here to keep you from freaking out. I’m here to be with you while you freak out, or grieve or laugh or suffer or sing. It is a ministry of presence. It is showing up with a loving heart.” ~ Kate Braestrup I remember sitting in a coffee shop twelve years […]
I’m Stepping Away From Work For A Few Days
“It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited, and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know. It is like […]
Navigating Christmas Without A Loved One
“You will lose someone you can’t live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s […]
The Week Ahead – Oracle Reading for Monday 16 January
“Grief does not change you… It reveals you.” ~ John Green Hello, dear friends! I apologise that today’s post is late in coming. In fact I was unsure if I would even be able to write it at all. But here it is. Here’s the oracle card I have chosen this Monday, and my take on the […]
A Short Blog Series on Death and Dying
“I’ve been making a list of the things they don’t teach you at school. They don’t teach you how to love somebody. They don’t teach you how to be famous. They don’t teach you how to be rich or how to be poor. They don’t teach you how to walk away from someone you don’t […]
Listening as a Healing Tool
“You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. […]
Saturday Night Lights
“There is no night life in Spain. They stay up late but they get up late. That is not night life. That is delaying the day. Night life is when you get up with a hangover in the morning. Night life is when everybody says what the hell and you do not remember who paid […]
Excuse me, are you the Witch?
“Perhaps I am the only person who, asked whether she were a witch or not, could truthfully say, “I do not know. I do know some very strange things have happened to me, or through me. – Lady Alice Rowhedge” ~ Norah Lofts, Bless This House Last year the little girl from down the road at our city house knocked […]
Thoughts on Mother’s Day
“There are three musts that hold us back: I must do well. You must treat me well. And the world must be easy.”~ Albert Ellis It’s Mother’s Day in Australia today. It’s a day when so many families will get together with their Mothers, give heartfelt gifts of appreciation, share meals and practice love and […]
Life, blurred.
“I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion.” ~ Jack Kerouac Sometimes, life gets smudged around the edges and my crisp lines fuzzle into fluffy lumps of something but I haven’t got the word for it. No words is hard for a writer. Or when you forget the shape of things or what her […]
Crying in car parks
“Let your tears come. Let them water your soul.” ~ Eileen Mayhew Over the last twenty-five years I’ve done my share of crying in car parks. Not just any car parks. I do have my standards. The car parks I shed tears in have always had a theme. I’ve cried in hospital car parks, pathology […]
Not where I’d expected to be…
I keep trying to write a post, and nothing comes out right. I keep trying to explain what’s in my heart and there are no words. But that’s okay. Words will come later. I’m standing at the wheel of life, watching it turn, and knowing it will keep on turning. Nothing I can do to […]
Burning the Past – A Ritual for Cleansing Pain
A friend of mine has gone through some hard times recently, and now that they are behind her she asked me if I had a ritual to help her let go of that painful period in her life. I love the use of rituals in our lives. Rituals cause us to take pause, giving weight […]
That Sweet Sudden Grief…
“Grief can be a burden, but also an anchor. You get used to the weight, how it holds you in place.” ~ Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever I didn’t expect to be blogging about grief today. But grief snuck up on me last night and broadsided me. This morning I can still taste its bitter-sweetness. It’s […]
Guided Meditation for Emotional Support
Can miles truly separate you from friends… If you want to be with someone you love, aren’t you already there? ~ Richard Bach Life is a glorious adventure, but sometimes the road is hard. Sometimes we become overwhelmed by our troubles, we feel alone, and we think that we don’t have not enough strength to face […]
Bittersweet cupcake celebrations…
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” ~ Rumi This should be a post about birthdays and love, and it is all of those things. But it’s also a post about love and loss, and the way grief can affect us. The Fourth of July has long been a special day for […]
Knowing When to Walk Away
“Sometimes walking away has nothing to do with weakness, and everything to do with strength. We walk away not because we want others to realise our worth and value, but because we finally realise our own.” ~ Robert Tew You know the old saying I am sure. The definition of madness (some actually say stupidity) […]
Dare to Love…
Love. It’s what we all want. It’s what we all need. I urge you – dare to love. It’s not hard to do – the act of loving is hard-wired into us. All we need to do is be brave enough to open our hearts… Love is the greatest feeling in the world. Love is intoxicating, […]
What to do when you don’t know where you’re going…
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who’ll decide where to go. ~ Dr. Seuss Feeling lost is a very normal human emotion. And it is […]