In a few hours, I will face another series of “firsts.” My first Thanksgiving without my husband. My first time getting together with several members of his family in Chicago—Charlie’s absence acutely obvious. On top of that, Friday would have been his sixty-second birthday. I’ve shed more than a few tears these past few days. None of this is…
I woke quite early the day of my husband’s visitation. I’d spent the night in my sibling’s hotel room, who both had come to support me after Charlie’s sudden death. Slipping quietly from the room, I headed for the lobby. Finding a chair in front of the fireplace, I scooted closer to its warmth, trying to ward off the…
After learning of my husband’s death, my journey home was extremely difficult. Boarding the plane that would take me back to Iowa, I could barely put one foot in front of the other. Once I got to my seat, I realized I had a problem. How was I going to hoist my bag into the overhead bin? I…
Recently, I received an email from someone I hadn’t heard from for quite a while. She contacted me after learning of my husband’s death. Catching me up on the last thirty years, she said that other than a few momentary relationships along the way, she’d been alone since her divorce. She wrote, “I have had many emotional struggles dealing…
Today I woke up “on the wrong side of the bed.” My thoughts were in a jumble, and I found it hard to think clearly or positively. I don’t know about you, but that’s not a good way for me to start the day. Yesterday I encountered some tough things , and by the time I got home I…
Those of you who were following my blog probably noticed that I hadn’t posted anything for several months. I absolutely love blogging, but honestly I just got to the point where I had to cut out all distractions in order to buckle down and write my book. Writer’s call it “bum glue”, when you just have to…
As we approach Thanksgiving this year, I have become more conscious of how much I have been given. I have a greater awareness than ever before of the amazing goodness of the Lord! So often in the past I focused on the areas in my life where I had been wounded. But the Lord has shown me in countless…
