I called my dead mother the other day. It was her birthday and I needed to talk, even though hearing her voice was impossible. A robotic message explained that, “the call couldn’t be completed as dialed.” Not surprising since her phone line went dead shortly after her passing. But that hasn’t diminished my urge to … Continue reading Calling Heaven
Photo courtesy of Dollar Gill, Unsplash Do you remember the part in the book “Peter Pan” where Tinkerbell’s fairy light fades along with her life? She whispers to Peter that she thinks she would get better if children believed in fairies. “Do you believe in fairies?,” Peter asks the kids of Neverland. “Say quick that … Continue reading The Tinkerbell Effect of Believing in Yourself
Boundaries are as much about what we keep out as let in. When it comes to grief, we frequently talk about building boundaries to prevent people from being prescriptive about how we grieve, telling us to move on, or threatening our fragile and momentary peace. These limits are important and good mostly as preventative measures … Continue reading Boundaries
~Kim Libertini Photo by NASA on Unsplash As the news reports increased and the hurricane storm in the Atlantic assembled, it was clear this storm would be catastrophic. The latest report had it classified as a Category 5, with wind speeds of 157mph or higher and enough intensity to level houses and destroy buildings. People were not just … Continue reading The Cat 5 of Life
Photo by Jacky Lo on Unsplash ~Kim Libertini The cabin doors shut. My two little ones were all buckled in their seats with in-flight entertainment activities at their fingertips. The flight captain had just made his announcement for the cabin crew and passengers to prepare for take-off. I could feel the wheels rumbling as we began to accelerate … Continue reading Taking Off After Loss
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 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
On our walk to school this morning, my boys and I crossed paths with a woman smelling of sweet mint. The scent launched me down memory lane. It zoomed past my forties with their dismantling of family and arrival at the unknown. Past the thirties collaged with growing a career and growing babies. It flew … Continue reading Chew On This Memory, Mom
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