THE RISE AGAIN BLOG

Editor’s Note: I’ve made some minor changes to this post, as I prepped Part 2 and new directions unfolded. When you are facing a hard circumstance, it may feel like a black cloud has settled over you, and you have become one with that cloud. Your life becomes a dark rain storm, pouring down deep drops of sorrow and suffering into your life. Perhaps you are going through a divorce, a job loss, facing financial issues, feeling the betrayal of a friend, or watching a loved one f

See the fish? You can avoid having ulcers by adapting to the situation: If you fall in the mud puddle, check your pockets for fish. ~Author Unknown #lifeafterloss #adapting #lifeafterdeath #Grief #faith #peace #thoughts #pain #life #Beautyinpain

“If you look deeply at a flower, at its freshness and its beauty, you will see that there is also compost in it, made of garbage. The gardener had the skill to transform this garbage into compost, and with this compost, he made a flower grow.” ~ from “You Are Here” by Thich Nhat Hanh Did Thay (I like to call him that, because that’s what his followers and friends call him, and when he speaks to my soul, I feel him like a friend) say this just for me? Did he see my life and sp

A beautiful story for you… An aging Hindu master grew tired of his apprentice complaining and so, one morning, sent him for some salt. When the apprentice returned, the master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it. “How does it taste?” the master asked. “Bitter,” spit the apprentice. The two walked in silence to the nearby lake and once the apprentice swirled his handful of salt in the water, the old man said, “Now

This is a true story that was shared with me recently. I have omitted last names to respect the family’s privacy, and re-written  to the best of my memory in the stunning of hearing such a moving story. Cathy’s husband Gary was one of our twelve. The twelve deaths in three years, I mean. He was like a second Dad to us in many ways. We always felt like part of their family. Gary was a tall man with piercing blue eyes, a salt and pepper beard, a sort of Sean Connery, get’s bett

"The World Revs Its Heat Engine" Photo credit: from NASA on Flickr, no known copyrights exist Hello, Nice to meet you. Thank you for greeting me so warmly. I’ve recently begun my own WordPress Blogiverse journey, and find myself to be quite content here in the WordPress hemisphere, because, well, you guys are awfully nice. I love meeting bloggers from all sides of the globe, and I’m thankful for my “homeroom” WordPress peeps! I feel like I’m now a part of something – part of

I can hardly begin to compose myself to write this blog tonight. Today was – simply – one of the TOP 5 BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE. Yup, weddings, babies, then today. That’s how my list would go. #499 on the invisible, unwritten Bucket List of my heart – completed. Eleven beautiful, stunning, ROCKSTAR Mamas walked into my life today, and changed me forever. They were in Sedona to be part of Camp Soaring Eagle’s Winter Oncology Retreat, designed specifically for families of children

I’m afraid to share what I have to say. I’m afraid of what you’ll think of me. I’m afraid you don’t want to hear it. Just incase you don’t know my story already…in the last three years TWELVE people in my life have died. I have sat at the deathbeds of five. I watched Cancer (and yes, in my book it gets freaking capitalized because it’s a monster) eat four of them alive, slowly and painfully. 90% of them were under the age of 50. One was five. If I averaged it out, I’ve been t