Photo credit ~me I take pictures. And I post them. It's something I did before grief but not nearly as much as I do now. Some might question the need to photographically document my life's moments and share. For me, it's a lesson I learned in grief. I have so few pictures of the people … Continue reading Captured Memories
This is a grief blog. The pages intended for sharing the hard journey of stitching oneself together anew after things fall apart. However, grief feels distant this morning. My little family (read: the boys and me) is on a summer vacation. We’re staying with friends in a house perched on a bay filled with boats. … Continue reading The Pause
Photo by Javardh on Unsplash At his memorial service, I wanted to leave those that had come to honor his life, with words that would resonate and offer guidance on how to move forward in a world without him. “Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swamps of the not-quite, the … Continue reading The What-Ifs, Have-Nots and Never-Wills
At least once a day a friend, colleague, or stranger asks, “How are you?” My normal response is “fine,” or “good,” or any other terse platitude that fills conversation. Today, because I’m feeling raw and brutally honest, I would say “I’m recovering.” Recovering from my last chapter in life and recovering the next one. The … Continue reading Recovering
~Kim Libertini There are some people that always ask the big questions. On this night, as we chatted into the late hours, sipping wine and reflecting on life, she asked,”What do you miss most about him?” I paused. I thought. I miss ….. that moment when he walked in the door at the end of a … Continue reading I Miss
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash ~Kim Libertini When someone we know suffers loss, it is common to ask the question, "How are you doing?" No matter where I was down the grief path, my response was always the same, but the meaning behind the response changed over time. Time Period What I said Acute stage of grief … Continue reading Being Ok Through Grief
Photo by Chang Duong on Unsplash How do I say goodbye? It is an art I haven’t yet mastered. I was never really the sentimental type. I don’t get overly attached to things or even places for that matter. But people, relationships, and experiences .... my heart holds a special affinity for those. How do I say goodbye … Continue reading The End of An Era
Photo by Ashleigh Robertson on Unsplash ~Kim Libertini It is indescribable when everything about the life you know is shattered by death. My mom had taught me that my life would not be defined by the number of times I was knocked down, but rather how and when I chose to stand back up. Back then, when the … Continue reading Bittersweetness
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash ~Kim Libertini I’m sitting in bumper to bumper traffic on the way home from work,”Pick up boys’ suits. Drug store to pick up prescription. Shoe store. Groceries. Lawn fertilizer...crap I forgot the return for Home Depot on the counter. Get gas. Do the boys have practice at 5:45 or 6 tonight?....Ugghh, I … Continue reading #SingleMomLife
~Kim Libertini Before loss, I was familiar with the word strength. After loss, strength took on a new connotation with immeasurable value. In the acute stage of loss, strength was... getting out of bed. showering. getting to work. eating. Between years one and two, strength was ... making a meal for myself, knowing I … Continue reading The Value of Strength
