Sometimes I wonder…if we had known what was coming our way, would we have still married? As of this day, July 12, 2025, we’ve had 39 years of surprises, many of them life changing. If we had seen the hardship ahead of time would we have done things differently? I still remember that day. The … Continue reading Sometimes I Wonder
writing
Death Watch
One year ago, we were holding vigil at Mom’s bedside. A death watch…a time of waiting for death to arrive. Hospice sounded the alarm that her time had come. We didn’t leave her side. Her body was weakening. Her breathing was a rattle. Then a gurgle. We took turns beside the bed. Reading her favorite … Continue reading Death Watch
The Whirlwind…
There is a whirlwind blowing worldwide. It is disorienting. In the midst, the landscape is changing. From my window, I watch. From the safety of my chair, I see. It is alarming. It is scary when debris flies by, so close. Destruction seems so immanent. Inches away. For now, I am safe from where I … Continue reading The Whirlwind…
Oncologist
I walked through the glass door with my heart in my throat. It is an automated response to this place. My pulse rate increases as I try to find an empty chair. Once a cancer patient, always a cancer patient. I am the only woman with hair today; thin though it is, it’s better than … Continue reading Oncologist
The Small Things
I slide out of my bed and pull on my yellow shorts and striped yellow and white tank top. My bare feet pad quietly out of the bedroom. He sits on the porch. Watching the waves roll in. Never a coffee drinker, his hands instead caress his camera. Dad. Taking in the sunrise with his … Continue reading The Small Things
The Storm
The rain on my rooftop stills my heart. The thunder rolls around and through the valley, reminding me that storms are mobile. They do not stay forever. The deluge pounds the shelter over my head. It rolls down outside my window like a waterfall, creating a familiar hiss. The lightning and thunder are having a … Continue reading The Storm
Sister Tattoos (Part 2)
Four years ago, Melinda and I got sister tattoos as part of our caregiver journey. I wrote about it here. Back then, we marked our hard journey; etched it on our bodies as a way to memorialize the love between Mom and Dad. Dementia was taking its toll and Dad was a weary knight in … Continue reading Sister Tattoos (Part 2)
Tossing and Turning
I can’t sleep. Tossing and turning, turns to wandering thoughts, turns to climbing out of bed and into my writing chair. The little girl inside of me speaks up. She reminds me that when she couldn’t sleep, Dad would let her climb onto his lap in his chair. It was a Lazy Boy that creaked … Continue reading Tossing and Turning
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
Michelle's Mosaic 