Aching Hearts Survive Sadness Together

~Kim Libertini There is this thing about grief. It is so different based on who you lost and how you lost them. Yet there are common threads woven into each loss that connect this community of aching hearts. This sentiment was underscored during my recent guest-host in Circles Audio Chat Room.   As the Co-founder of … Continue reading Aching Hearts Survive Sadness Together

The Abyss and Back

~Kim Libertini I felt like it needed a name. For years I have called it “The Abyss.” Appropriately, the abyss is defined as a bottomless pit. In times when my heart has been shattered and my mind and body are overwhelmed with pain I find myself there. It’s the place I go to when the … Continue reading The Abyss and Back

The Never Ending Juggle

~Kim Libertini As I walked, I could feel my clothes swivel around my waist. The pounds had been melting off for weeks now. It my body's reaction to stress. I am tired. Divorce and loss made me recognize the value of "divide and conquer." I can't speak for all divorces; only my own. The contentious … Continue reading The Never Ending Juggle

Triggers of Loss

~Kim Libertini Photo by Nathalie Désirée Mottet on Unsplash The change of season was quick this year.  Overnight, I woke to crisp cold air and the smell of fallen leaves.  The hours of daylight are decreasing. I feel it.  Fall reminds me of home. A small town nestled in the Hudson River Valley of New … Continue reading Triggers of Loss

Calling Heaven

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

Boundaries

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

The End of An Era

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

#SingleMomLife

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

Loss Monsoon

Photo by Silvan Metzker on Unsplash ~Kim Libertini Like the approach of monsoon clouds, I felt the words move rapidly toward me. Just like a monsoon, I got caught off guard. I’ve been in monsoons before. They rain fiercely, heavily, pack a mean punch and appear to never let up. As I felt the strength of the words … Continue reading Loss Monsoon

My Place

When the world is spinning too fast and I can’t seem to catch my breath, I come here.  It is my place. I’ve found sanity, solace and sensibility here. I have bawled, released shrieks of excitement, cries of pain and grappled with life’s unfairness here. This is the place where I let it all go. … Continue reading My Place