If Mom and Dad were going to pass according to their personalities, they certainly did it. Mom with her slow pace, attention to detail, relationships that needed time, and her deep faith, which carried her. Dad with his 100-mile-an-hour personality, just-do-it-get-it-over-with style, bulldog determination, and his fierce independence. It really couldn’t be any more Mike … Continue reading Turtle vs. Jack Rabbit
life
Guest Blog by David
I have offered by blog to my family to tell their own stories if they would like. Today is the next guest blog by my nephew, David Hunter. A variety of feelings come with death: guilt, sadness, vulnerability, uncertainty, and relief when the loved one is suffering. You never are sure which one will stem … Continue reading Guest Blog by David
The Separation
Since Mom passed in July, the most common question I’ve been asked is, “How is your dad?” Honestly, we were all worried about him, too. We knew it would be a tough transition for him. Even he knew that. He said he wasn’t sure how to be Mike without Martha. They had been together so … Continue reading The Separation
Guest Blog by Melinda
I have offered by blog to my family to tell their own stories if they would like. Today is the first guest blog by my sister, Melinda. Today was my first step back into my nurse practitioner role since Dad’s passing. It was hard. Much harder than I thought it would be. I have worked … Continue reading Guest Blog by Melinda
Hi Dad
Hi Dad, It’s been a week since we said goodbye. It is still surreal. I think some parts of my heart still don’t really believe it, but then I start to text or call, and the sting comes flooding back into my eyes. It’s true. The nightmare really happened. Now, time is playing tricks on … Continue reading Hi Dad
Thoughts from a Daddy’s Girl
I was never a “typical” girl. Of course now we know, none of us were. Girls are all complex individuals with differing personalities and interests, but before we were allowed to explore those we were trained to fit into a “typical” girl mold. I did not. I was what you call a Tom-boy. Meaning, I … Continue reading Thoughts from a Daddy’s Girl
ICU Keeping Watch
This blog was started my first day here in Orlando. I have re-written it three times, with each rise and fall of the roller coaster. Please excuse the choppiness of the tenses. We knew you would want to know more…and this is my first attempt. I will be writing more as I process, but for … Continue reading ICU Keeping Watch
Happy 1st Birthday!
When I had my first baby, my heart grew three sizes. I had no idea before that moment that the heart was expandable. I had never felt this kind of love before. It was big and all consuming. It resulted in joy overflowing and even on hard days it didn’t diminish. So much so, that … Continue reading Happy 1st Birthday!
Mom’s Eulogy
Mom was a woman of many talents. An organizer extraordinaire. A fabulous cook. A deep thinker. A hospitality queen. A servant and lover of people. An encourager. A follower of Christ. An empathetic ear. A noticer of details. A lover of color and design. And a memory maker. One life contains so many layers, doesn’t … Continue reading Mom’s Eulogy
Memories
Funny how memories work when you are grieving. They come unbidden and they are bittersweet. Mostly sweet. Mostly, I smile…sometimes with tears…grateful tears that Mom is whole again. Birthdays, Christmases, family trips, times with the grandkids, even childhood memories from when I was a little girl, all come forward as I flip through pictures. I … Continue reading Memories
Michelle's Mosaic 