Today, February 17th is Schuyler’s birthday. Schuyler is my nephew.
He was killed by an IED blast in Afghanistan in 2009.
Some may think today “was” his birthday and he “was” my nephew, and that’s ok, but that’s not how I see it. February 17th is – and always will be – his birthday. He will remain forever 25 in my mind – with a huge smile, a mischievous laugh, and a gripping hug that practically squeezed the air our of your every cell. A week from today, on the 24th, is the day he died…one week after his 25th birthday. Here and then gone.
I think about Sky a lot, but more so during this month, and even more during this week – the week between the day of his birth and the day of his death. Today, as thoughts of him and memories have passed through my mind I’ve smiled. Even now, typing this, I just have to smile. That’s really all he ever wanted – to make people smile. Right now I am feeling a little morose, as the thought just occurred to me – How much MORE laughter would we all have in our lives if he were still alive?
Wow – so much. So much more laughter.
He was truly a gift, and his presence in my life was a gift. Like everyone important to us who we lose, I long for more, but have to be grateful for the time we had.
That’s the real trick in this grief thing – remembering to be grateful for the time you had instead of focusing on what was lost.
So, happy birthday Schuyler. Thank you for the memories that you left with me; thank you for the people you brought to my life because of yours; thank you for whooshing through my head sometimes when I’m taking life way too seriously and reminding me to enjoy the ride; thank you for being the reason people choose to help others; thank you for being who you were and who you will always remain, in my heart and mind.
Today is Valentine’s Day and I’ve found that it’s a “holiday” that people have very mixed feelings about. Here’s what I think about VDay – and I’d love for you to comment (or even just personally reflect) on what the day means to you.
My childhood memories of Valentine’s Day are that Dad would bring Mom roses – and he’d bring me one too. I don’t remember it being a big production or anything, but it was just this nice little thing he did for my Mom and me. They may have gone out for dinner or something, but I just don’t recall it being a big deal. I remember the fun parties in school, where you’d decorate a shoe box and then put a card into your classmates boxes and then open them and enjoy all the little treats.
When the hubs and I started dating and were early married, I suppose we did some of the traditional things for Valentine’s Day, but honestly I don’t really remember. The hubs is a romantic so I’m sure he did sweet things, but that’s the thing about REAL romance – it’s NOT just about one day. I think that’s why VDay is just another day to me.
Here’s the thing – if my hubs doesn’t get me a card, flowers, candy, take me out for dinner, or any of those marketed Valentine’s Day “traditions” I do NOT think that he doesn’t love me. I don’t take it as a slight, I don’t take it as a bad sign, I don’t give it much thought. The day-to-day love and appreciation that we show one another is what matters. I’d rather him completely forget 2/14 but show me care and gratitude other days than have him go all out on VDay but then be uncaring the rest of the year.
So, what I’m saying folks is, don’t let one day define your ideas of your relationship. As a couple, do what seems right for YOU. If you’re new in love and things are all romantic and sweet and you want to make a romantic gesture today, go for it. But don’t forget that feeling on days where you’re not inundated by media and marketing with reminders that you should show that special person you care. Some flowers or a cheesy note in your loved ones car on a random Monday are just as (if not more) appreciated.
Also, if you find yourself feeling unappreciated or lonely in your relationship, think about GIVING what you want to RECEIVE. Ask your partner to do something with you – like take a walk, meet for lunch, or help cook dinner – whatever works in your situation, but just something you can do together and talk and break out of the routine that has maybe made things seem a bit mundane. Heck, try leaving them a cheesy love note in their car so they find it when they’re on their way to work! Just remember that no matter how “long” in love you may be, and how secure you are in your relationship, your partner ALWAYS will appreciate little reminders of how much you care.
On that note – everyone appreciates reminders that they’re cared for, so in the next week, I will be reaching out to 5 people in my life with a little note reminding them that I love, care, and appreciate them and what they bring to my life. Snail mail is so freaking awesome because nobody EVER expects anything GOOD to come via snail mail! So tap into the good old USPS and send a handwritten note to someone you love. Put some love and gratitude out into the world and see how that makes you feel – maybe you’ll even get some love and gratitude back.
Yes. I DO need a break. I feel like my true answer is that I need a break from everything, but I’ll narrow it down to two things that I need a break from. I currently need a break from work and winter.
I’m not a fan of winter here in southern Illinois. Winter here consists of stretches of gray and damp weather, sprinkled with an occasional 50-60 degree sunny day, just to totally screw with your brain. I feel like some people I know see those sunny days as a reminder that winter doesn’t last forever and we’re getting closer. To me it’s just like a wet snowball right in the face to remind me that somewhere it’s sunny days and warm breezes every day and I’m just choosing to spend my winter HERE instead of there.
Work – I need a break from work. I think I have a 5-10 year attention span. Every 5-10 years I have this “I need to do something else” crisis and just cannot focus. The year of 2022 was a shit show for me, and right now I want a break from all of it, and work is right up there on the list. My work is really an ideal situation, so I hate to complain about it. My husband and I started this company and have grown it, but it’s HIS interest, HIS hobby, and HIS passion. I don’t feel that for the work we do every day like he does. Some days I stop and look at that and wonder what it’s like to enjoy something so much that you come home and go right back to it. Sometimes I wish I had the old 9-5 back, and could take a week off to grieve, process, or just mentally shut down and let myself reset. But being self-employed is not like that, so like all things, you take the good with the bad. Some days I get a lot of stuff done and some days I sit and stare at my computer wondering what the hell I’m even doing there.
I’m working on it. I’m working on me. I have a good life, and have so much to be thankful for. I want to enjoy the fruits of our labor from the last 20 years. I want to plan trips and have friends over for dinner. I want to visit family. I want to explore new places and revisit comfortable old ones. I want to find a balance in life. Balance – that’s an interesting concept. Perhaps having my life out of balance for so long has left me in this state of flux right now. It’s time to work on me, work on finding balance, and work on finding the joy in every day life.
Change is hard – so very hard. But life is full of change. I feel like I have been dealing with an extraordinary amount of change recently. My labels have changed – I am no longer Patch’s caregiver; my label as Drake and Avery’s Mom is changing as they are zooming into adulthood, so my role as their Mom is changing. There are many more, but basically right now I’m in the midst of a lot of change, and frankly, I’m not dealing with it well. I keep joking that I’m trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up, but seriously…what DO I WANT out of this life of mine?
Lately I’ve had a lot of questions. Questions lead me to seek answers, and books have always been a good place for me to find answers. I’ve been reading a lot, listening to audiobooks, and podcasts, and talking to others. I’ll be adding another page to this blog for links to books, programs, products, etc that I truly enjoy and have found benefit from. This isn’t a side-hustle to make money – if you see me endorsing something it’s being utilized in my life, and I’m of the opinion that it is helping make my life better.
One audiobook I was listening to recently discussed how we have to be motivated in order to DO things, but in order to be motivated we have to have ambition. That made me stop and think. One of my struggles is my own personal health and wellness. I KNOW that for myself, it is a set-in-stone FACT that my mental health and physical health are deeply connected. I feel that to be true for many people, but for MYSELF, I know this to be a FACT. And recently, my mental health has been in the shitter. I am stuck in a “Debbie Downer” phase where I am unable or unwilling to reframe things to see the positive. Frankly, it’s really starting to piss me off and worry me a bit, so last night after having that bit of an audiobook resonate with me and then thinking about how that could apply to my own life, I sat down with my iPad and opened my digital planner and wrote out some tasks to accomplish today.
These aren’t huge, mountainous tasks, mind you – so don’t think I’ve conquered some major things. Right now, little things ARE major things. But that’s ok, because that’s where I’m at. I’m teetering on the edge of goo…
I KNOW these facts about myself. If I eat clean, drink water, and get some exercise in each day, I just FEEL BETTER. All around feel better. So today, those were my areas of focus. I am drinking water, I did a workout, and so far I have eaten food that fuels my body. I also have a few other items on my “to do” list today, including getting the guest rooms ready again (we had family stay and two guest rooms needed the bedding washed and replaced), bathe the dog, and make a meal plan for next week. So far so good – everything is done except for some laundry still in the washing/drying stages and the meal planning, but everything else that I had listed is accomplished.
I also know that being creative fills my cup, so as I am nearing the end of my current knitting project, I will plan my next project this weekend, as it will require assistance from my lovely cousin who is an incredibly talented knitter and thinks she can help me through this pattern. I admire her confidence!
My daily goals are to workout, drink 100 oz. of water, and to eat clean. The other items on my “To Do” list should fall into place as the foundational tasks will help me to feel better physically and mentally.
I want a lot of things for my life right now, but I am choosing to focus on three things that I KNOW will make a difference in my mental and physical health. I also KNOW that when my mental and physical health are in better shape, the rest of my life falls into place easier and with less struggle. Today is one day along this path. These are but small steps on the journey, but the steps have been taken today and I feel good about that. Tomorrow I need to remember the feelings from today and push myself to have the ambition to drink the water, get some exercise, and fuel my body with good, whole food.
If you’re stuck, feeling down, or just craving something for your life but can’t define it, look to what you KNOW works for YOU. What makes you feel better mentally and physically? Identify that and then make THAT your ambition. Write it out. Put it in places around your home or workplace. Set alarms on your phone. Do whatever you have to do to remind yourself what your ambition is. Ambition is defined as “an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction; desire for work or activity”, so KNOW what your ambition is and then set yourself up to be motivated every day to make it happen. When you have an “off” day, don’t let that derail your entire journey. If I hit 2 of my 3 goals in a day, I cannot let that be the catalyst to giving up completely. We each know our own truth. Stay true to that and see what you can achieve. And remember, above all else – be kind to yourself. You’re the best you there is.
First of all, yes – you are at the right blog. I know all the posts thus far have dealt with topics no where NEAR finances, but same place, different topic.
Let’s talk about financial intelligence! I’m in my 50’s and honestly it blows my mind sometimes to hear people talk about their financial obligations. It occurred to me that any financial intelligence I have wasn’t really learned in school, but from my parents. Then it occurred to me that we (meaning the hubs and I) have done a shit job at teaching our two kids anything about personal finance. The oldest will finish college a year from May and the youngest is a junior in high school. Clearly the oldest is the priority, as he’s closer to adulthood. One approach is to teach them both at the same time, but I’m no dummy – my style of parenting is test it out on one and if it worked, use it on the others. If it didn’t work, better find a new way!
So, I tell the oldest that it’s time for him to learn about budgeting and personal finance. This seems like a pretty easy discussion and so we set up a time that he’s going to come over and I’ll have a budget set up for him in Excel. Let me just say, I LOVE me a good Excel spreadsheet. I get busy and create a masterpiece of a spreadsheet. It’s a simple budget, and all he has to do is enter his expenses like a check register and all the budgeting stuff is done for him.
He and I sat down and I had started with some base figures, knowing we could adjust. I also had some expenses but knew as we went along the expense list would need to be changed. Here’s the hardest thing about budgeting – to really do it right, you have to track EVERY PENNY YOU SPEND. Yes, I know that sucks, but if you don’t know where your money is going, you cannot budget.
Step One – open online banking and transfer your “monthly income” from your savings into your checking. We are supporting him while he’s in school, so we provide a monthly allowance. Nobody wants to budget their “allowance” so we’re calling it income. Enter this amount to your checking balance and make sure the Excel check register matches what your online banking balance shows. Now, since he had already spent some money in January, we went ahead and entered those debits into the “check register”. Rent is auto-drafted, so instead of a check number, we use EFT (electronic funds transfer) and record that “debit”. We record the rest of the items that he had already happen in January and his ending balance in the register matched the ending balance of his online banking. Off to a good start!
As the debits are entered, the expense (or income) category is a drop-down menu. When the expense category is entered (seen above), the budget worksheet automatically updates, as seen below. This is a sample budget and figures to give you an idea of what I’m talking about. Each person will have different income and expense categories.
Saving is part of budgeting, so the next thing I had him do was enter three transactions, each of them with him as the “vendor”, the amount, and the “expense category” of Savings: Emergency Fund, Savings: Investment Fund, and Savings: Oh Shit Fund. He recorded those three transactions and then I had him go back into his online banking and transfer the total for those three from checking back to savings. Then we discussed what those funds are. Emergency Fund is exactly that – for emergencies, so in the future, if his car breaks down, he gets laid off from a job, he gets sick, his water heater dies, etc – he will have money available in an Emergency Fund. His Investment Fund is for him to bank up and then add to an investment account that was started for him. He can choose to continue to buy stock or perhaps choose another investment. Either way, it’s important to save for “down the road”. The Oh Shit Fund is the one I explained to him as a “cushion”. He won’t need to put money in the Oh Shit Fund forever, but for now, it’s a good idea to put money in the Oh Shit Fund so that if he’s at the end of the month and forgot to record an expense or two in the register, he has a cushion so that he doesn’t overdraw his account.
After we were all done, and he could see how the amounts from his register automatically went into his actual budget, I was feeling pretty good about my parenting skills. However, I know that a budget is only helpful if you USE it FAITHFULLY. So, we agreed that he is responsible for setting up a time once per week to meet with me and go over his financial spreadsheet.
The next week he called and we met. He had entered his debits in and we talked about how to classify some things. Then he asked if there was a way to budget in saving for something in the future. In his case, he is wanting to attend a music festival, so he wants to start socking money back NOW so that when the times comes, he will have the funds. Ah, be still my heart. He might really be getting this!!!
We set up another savings goal and he had to make some adjustments in expenses in order to be able to fund the new savings goal. Once we did that, he had very little money left over for the month, and it was only the 12th or so. I explained that when this happens, you have two choices – increase your income or decrease your expenses. Financial intelligence is all about making choices. You choose what you spend your money on. You choose what comes IN and what goes OUT. Right now is a great time for him to learn this, as he’s in college, has a pretty chill lifestyle, and has supportive parents. He’s able to get $$ out of us if needed, but now, with his budget, he’s being held accountable for what he’s choosing to spend his money on. I think this is making him a more careful spender, which is good.
If anyone is interested in a copy of the file, let me know. I used a few YouTube videos to help me create the spreadsheet and I think it’s easy for people to understand. The youngest doesn’t know it yet, but her turn is coming soon. As I work out the kinks with her brother’s personal finance education, I’m planning her turn. Think of it as a necessary life skill – something we should all teach our children, and something we all should know ourselves. If you have debt, set a goal for 2023 to pay extra on your debt each month. Take whatever your payment is and round it up to the nearest $100; so if you pay $358 for something, start making your payment $400. You will be amazed at how much faster that debt is paid off. Turn it into a personal challenge and find an expense you can cut. Put the money you would’ve spent on that into an envelope and every two or three months, put that money toward your debt.
When you manage your money your money can work FOR you instead of you working FOR it. Simple changes can make HUGE impacts on your financial situation, so take those first steps NOW and start getting your finances in better shape!
I’ve often thought that having priorities is just a natural part of life, like oxygen. In order to live a fulfilled life, one assigns priorities to the parts of our lives, and in doing so we live our best life.
Right? I mean, that HAS to be true, right?
But – what if it’s NOT true. Here’s what I heard today that made me think this over. What IF you look at each thing in your life with equal importance, or no more or less important than something else?
I literally have to stop and let that soak in and simmer a bit…because that “strategy” seems totally foreign to me. But, there IS some logic to it. A lot of people (myself included) assign a “when this big thing is over” deadline to our happiness/self care/vacation/etc. So, for example, I might say “when this event is finished at work I’ll get my desk organized”. That statement, whether mental or verbal, assigns a level of higher importance to the event than to getting the desk organized. And that MAY be a valid assignment of importance, but it puts pressure on the higher importance item (the event) and makes the other item less important. Another thought might be that in getting the desk organized I will be more efficient in my work for the upcoming event. Hmm…so really, is it possible that BOTH items are important?
By removing the “level of importance” for any one thing, you’re saying all things are equal and you’re living in the moment. Hmm…living in the moment, eh? THAT seems like a good way to “live your best life”.
I’ll be honest – when Dad’s health was declining, there were a lot of times that I “back-burnered” something because the time with him was of higher priority. And I KNOW that mentally I was thinking something along the lines of “when I’m not caring for him I’ll catch up on this, take care of that, focus my attention here, etc”. Essentially I was trading time – and planning for what I’d focus on after he passed away. I don’t regret any single instance of giving up time on something to spend with him. But – now that he’s gone I can tell you that those things that I avoided are still being avoided.
I’m SO BAD about this – the “when X is done, I’ll have time for Y”. Every time X is done though, something else comes along and Y gets pushed back. I think I’ve been pushing a lot of Ys back, and now maybe it’s time to change my thinking…maybe this “everything is equal” strategy has some merit.
Each day focus on what you’re doing and do those things. Did your plans to finish a project get interrupted by a friend who wanted to meet for lunch? No worries – that project will be there after lunch. I think for me to shift my thinking I’ll have to do it slowly and methodically. I’ll need to make a list of things I really need to get done at some point in the week, and then do those when I can. I’ll quit seeing the constant interruptions and redirections of my time as inconvenience and deal with them as they come.
Deal with things as they come – nothing is more or less important. Spend your time where it’s needed. Live in the moment. How about you? Do you prioritize or take things as they come? Is it even possible to live in the moment? Time will tell…I honestly don’t know if I have the ability, but I’ll try.
So, first some back-story for anyone that stumbles onto this site and doesn’t know my story…
In the fall of 2021, my dad moved into our home because of some health concerns. He didn’t want to move in with us, as he didn’t want to be a burden on us. We, as a family, explained that it was easier for us all if he was here because I was going to be taking him to a lot of appointments and such – due to his recent diagnosis of Stage IV bladder cancer. He moved in, and we had him take the master suite, as it is the only bedroom on the main floor, so no stairs to climb. The hubs and I moved to one of the bedrooms upstairs. Fast forward (and skip a whole lotta stuff that I’ll likely get into at some point) to October 15, 2022. That was the day that my sweet Dad took his last breath, and I literally felt his heart stop beating, surrounded by his 4 “kids”, one daughter-in-law, and one niece. He died at 8:45 that morning – in our master bedroom – in our bed.
OK – so you’re caught up now. Well, the scene has been set anyway. You get the idea. Mad props to my hubs – what a patient and kind man he is. To be fair, anyone who would put up with me has to be patient and kind (and a bit mental) but he has really been exceptional during this “caregiver” phase of my life. After Dad died – the bedroom sat. And sat…..and sat.
Finally I decided that in order to move back in there I needed to change it up, so I announced that I would need new furniture. I went out, found bedroom furniture that I thought would work, graphed that out on a “bedroom schematic” he made for me (yeah, we’re THOSE people) and ordered the furniture. Next step – paint the formerly deep maroon wall a different color. I chose and bought the paint. The paint sat. And sat. I gave all of the furniture in the bedroom to someone who needed it….except for the mattress, because we had bought the mattress before Dad moved in, and we liked it as it was adjustable.
So now we have the room with nothing but the mattress and adjustable frame and a wall that needs to be painted – and like a metric crap ton of clutter and crap that I need to go through and decide “keep/donate/trash”, but I digress. Sometime during the holiday break I declared the day of painting the wall was at hand and got to it. Almost like magic, while I was on the stepladder (Dad’s stepladder) painting, my phone rang and it was the furniture store calling to set up delivery for 12/31. Yep – the new furniture was delivered on New Year’s Eve. Crazy. I finished painting, cleaned the room up pretty well, and then the hubs and I moved the adjustable frame and mattress to the opposite wall, as I wanted the room to be laid out differently with the new furniture.
The new furniture was delivered, set up, and voila…it was done. Time to move in. Except, I really didn’t want to. Any time I have something that I don’t want to do…a task that seems too monumental that I am paralyzed to even start…I remind myself of the following:
How do you eat an elephant? ONE bite at a time.
Time to start eating the elephant that is “moving back to the master suite”. My first step was once the furniture was all in place I headed to Home Goods and got some new window treatments, bedding, throw pillows, throw blanket, etc. Once I got that all put together I realized I needed lamps for the nightstands. Back to Home Goods and home with the new lamps. I looked around and surveyed my work, feeling pleased with the results. My work here was done…but it was not. The room was ready, but our stuff was still upstairs. Some days the “bite” I could manage was a single trip with hanging clothes. Other days I made trip after trip, hauling stuff, sorting through donate/keep/trash, and putting things away like a fiend. Some days you’re really hungry and can take bite after bite after bite…some days a single bite feels like it will choke you.
The moving back in has been hard, but even harder for me has been actually sleeping in the room. I’m not even sure how to put this into words – this difficulty. I’m not creeped out by it being the room that Dad died in. Hell, I sleep on the side of the mattress that he was on when he died. That’s not it. For days I’ve wondered why I have such a hard time sleeping in this beautiful room, and today it occurred to me…
Moving IN does not equal moving ON.
Moving back into the master suite does not erase Dad’s presence – from my home or from my life. Moving in does not diminish what happened in this room. And when I think of what happened in this room, I can think of it in many ways – but the version that I CHOOSE to think of is the beauty of a man who lived a long life…the beauty of being surrounded by the voices, the tender touches, and the sounds of loved people and music. I think of the beauty of LOVE and LIFE. The room held much more life than it did death, even in the hour of his passing. Honestly, even after he passed, the room continued to hold more life and love than it did death, even as the hospice nurse and I bathed and dressed him to prepare him for his final departure from our home.
Moving IN does not equal moving ON. I don’t think we ever “move on” from life changing moments. We take so much of those moments with us…those moments become part of our body chemistry, part of our DNA, part of our soul. Those moments help to define our responses to future challenges and choices. Those life changing moments become part of who and what we are. Moving IN doesn’t equal moving ON. Every time I walk into the room it feels a bit more “our” space again. I like the simplicity of the room, and hope we can keep that up (it was packed with stuff before). This is just another step in the process, and while I know the process continues, I’m happy that we have at least started eating the “moving back in” elephant. Every day I make sure I take at least one bite. This may involve bringing another basket of stuff in and putting those items away, or it may involve many trips. Either way, it’s happening…one bite at a time.
I’ve seen a lot of people choose a “word of the year”. This word is supposed to symbolize something for the person to focus on, maybe their “why” for the year, or their purpose. I’ve never done this before, as generally I don’t get into that stuff, but this year I’ve been thinking about it. After much thinking, I’ve decided that my word for 2023 is “Self”. I like to give myself options, so this can be self-care, self-awareness, self-preservation, selfish, whatever I want…but in 2023 I am going to take a bit of advice I’ve given friends all too often, which I’m not great about following myself.
You can’t take care of anyone if you don’t take care of yourself first.
One of my constant struggles in life is taking care of myself. I’m not unique. I’m pretty sure if you talk to 100 women, 99 of them will admit to not putting themselves first. So for 2023, one of my areas of focus is “self”. I will remind myself of this when I start to feel guilty about taking time to be creative, treat myself to self-care, read a book, sit quietly with my thoughts, meal plan and get those workouts in before doing anything else, etc.
It’s a new year, so everyone has resolutions, changes, improvements on their mind. Think about what area(s) of your life you find challenging and then think about what you could do to make it less of a challenge.
Finances a struggle – consider finding help with budgeting
Worried about your physical and/or mental health – list things that would improve either (or both simultaneously) and choose 2 of those things to implement this month!
Wish you had more down time – list a few activities that when you finish you feel a sense of calm. For me, creativity is such a great way to break my mind spiral. Knitting, reading a book, and exercise also come to mind for me. What calms you? Schedule time in your week for a few “sessions” of whatever that is.
We all have a ton of things that cause challenge in our lives. Let 2023 be the year where you start to take control over the challenges and live a better, happier life.
Writing the date makes me smile. Not every day, but today specifically, because in writing 12/30/2022 it means that 2022 is about to come to an end, and personally, I’m OVER IT! Don’t get me wrong…2022 wasn’t ALL bad, but it had enough crap in it that I’m ready to rip the page off the calendar, ready to start with a fresh month, a fresh year, and all of the possibilities that come with the promise of a clean canvas. You get the idea; I’m ready to move on.
Or…AM I? What exactly does that mean…this “moving on” we so often speak of. Truthfully, it means something different for each person, given their situation. I don’t know if 2023 will be a year I “move on” per se, but I do hope to make some significant changes in my life.
Death will do that to a person.
The most significant and impactful thing that happened to me in 2022 is that my Dad died. I suppose that is the spark that ignited my search for who I really am. As I’ve gone through his personal items there have been a lot of papers to be shredded. It’s so strange to me to think that after a long life – he was 92, one can be reduced to a container of ashes, a bunch of papers to be shredded, and some mementos that your family holds onto. The death of Dad left me with so many questions, yearning for clarity, and a feeling of vulnerability that I had never felt before. I went in seek of these answers, and along the way I realized that I was also trying to find out who I am. I turned 50 in 2022, but the death of Dad is what really tipped me off center and made me question everything.
One thing I’ve learned on this journey is that everyone’s journey is different…it doesn’t matter if you’re on a health and wellness journey, an educational journey, the journey through grief, or any of the countless journeys we will go on as we live. Everyone’s journey is different. That is a simple truth. But, as different as they are, we will also often find similarities and it is in those similarities that we find comfort. We find comfort that we are NOT alone in our journey.
That is my hope for this blog – that you will read a post, find a similarity, and perhaps feel a bit less lonely on your own journey. I hope the posts cause you to pause, think, and realize that there is always someone out there who empathizes and feels your pain or joy. Remember…you are never alone.
The Neverending Lori 