Bereaved Parents, Family, flowers, garden, garden photos, gardens, Photography

Easter Thoughts on Corrie, Gardens, and Family

Bright Easter theme colors show around Corrie's Butterfly Garden with the Phlox and Dianthus in blossom. Holidays are never straight forward. They mean something different to everyone. In my gut, I know it's the fourth Easter without Corrie. This is a marker, which never goes away. Holidays, for some, are wearing bright colored, checkered shirts… Continue reading Easter Thoughts on Corrie, Gardens, and Family

autism, Bereaved Parents, Child loss, children, Family, Grief, Life, Loss, Mental Health, Photography, Photos, Poetry

A Picasso Shade of Blue

Born with a different kind of mind– and not the etch-a-sketch kind with the straight edges and directions to flow–is like sitting on the steps of the shallow end without a clue of how to swim or where to go.

Bereaved Parents, Child loss, Family, flowers, garden, garden photos, Grief, parenting, Photography, Photos

Dear Corrie, You Won the Last Argument: I Garden

I think Corrie would feel proud. She might not say it.

Bereaved Parents, bereavement, Child loss, Family, flowers, garden, Grief, inspiration, Joy, Life, Loss, Mental Health, Photography, Photos

Pictures Tell a Thousand Stories

It drove my second grade teacher Mrs. Rewis crazy if a student said, "a hundred" or "a thousand" because these weren't precise numbers. A student could say, "one hundred," and this is accurate. But some stories don't possess an exact number ...

Bereaved Parents, bereavement, Child loss, children, Family, garden, Grief, Loss, nature, Photography, Photos

For Corrie’s Ninth Birthday

Each year, we honor Corrie’s birthday in a small celebration with friends.

Bereaved Parents, bereavement, Child loss, children, Family, garden, Grief, Joy, Life, parenthood, Photography, Photos

A Message of Thanks from Corrie’s Family

When I consider the message of Thanksgiving, a lot of words fill my mind and heart for what I wish others to know and feel.

Bereaved Parents, Child loss, Family, Joy, Life, reality

“Here Comes the Sun”

If you'd ask me to imagine life 20 years ago, the plans I'd made would fail to match real events. I would never want to picture: - losing a child, - a tornado destroying parts of our home, - a miscarriage, - or nearly losing a spouse to colon cancer. I'd never imagined those events… Continue reading “Here Comes the Sun”

Bereaved Parents, bereavement, Child loss, Death, Family, garden, Grief, kindness, Life, nature, Photos

From Out of the Darkness, You will Come

Often, from our darkest spaces, and our most vulnerable moments comes a light we can choose to cast on a small section of the world.

Bereaved Parents, Child loss, Family, flowers, Grief, inspiration, Life, Photos, Uncategorized

Mother’s Day for Those Without Hallmark Cards

We are not forever cast to the darkness, nor would our children here, in heaven, wished for, wondered about, or mothers we miss or worry for want us to exist there.

Bereaved Parents, bereavement, Family, Grief, inspiration, Life, Poetry, PTSD, Writing

My Daughter’s Hands

One isn't weak because they break from the storm set to take the love you won’t forsake. Harsh words reflect shadows we cannot shake.