Dogs are amazing creatures and my mutt, Hank, is no exception. In the first week of July 2019, Karen’s condition had deteriorated to the point where all of us involved thought this would be our final goodbye. Hank also became aware that something wasn’t quite right in the house and his demeanor changed. On July …
More from the archive. This one from 2010. Another reminder that writers write the things they need to read. The lessons I’ve learned about grief along the way are never wasted. This is important music to me. I hope it speaks to you in the same way. FROM THE ARCHIVE: DECEMBER 11, 2010 I was …
I recently heard this quote: Writers write the books they themselves need to read I resonate with this statement Writing is the way I process most everything I deal with; emotions, disappointments, joyful moments. When I sit down to write a blog post, it always flows out of something I am learning or discovering. Documenting …
One of Karen’s desires on her hospice bucket list was to go hiking in Colorado one final time. We returned to some trails we took several years ago when we vacationed in that same area. Our children were very young and this location provided us with some lifelong memories During a hike with the family …
Hope is not possible without Grief I know this Because Grief exists And Hope does not ignore Grief In fact, Hope ignores no one Hope invites you to Its table Pull up a chair Bring with you what you may And tell Hope your Grief story Grief doesn’t disqualify you From having a seat in …
Grief. It’s the natural human experience we all undergo as a result of loss. It’s a process as well as a feeling. It’s coming to terms that life won’t be the same anymore. It’s an adjustment to never being able to see, listen or simply enjoy their presence. It’s the regret of wanting to try …
It wasn’t until my late 40’s that I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. The simple explanation of this condition is when breathing is interrupted during nighttime sleep. It upsets the normal sleep cycle, preventing the experience of full rest. It can be caused by obstruction of the airways, or in my case, my central nervous …
Today we remember Karen Renee Shinn, who passed away peacefully and quietly in her home at 5:55am Saturday, November 02, 2019 And this is our minute to hold our girl, one last time together. I don’t have to tell you there Aint’ No Sunshine with Karen now gone. As a grieving man, please bear with …
Coming from a lifelong involvement in a faith community, I’m familiar with the practice of fasting. Even though I was conversant with the term, it never really made sense to me. Fasting is mentioned many times in the Bible, but I didn’t see what the big deal was. Thou Shalt Not Murder made sense; fasting …
Six months ago, Karen began a decline in her health that led me to believe we were looking at a few days remaining. But true to form, she is still hanging tough and fighting to the very end. We engaged hospice care in June and it has been the right choice for us since we …