I am stirring my coffee this morning, trying to remember my affirmations I say daily to ward off evil spirits or just an unpleasant mood. Today, though, I am trying to focus on mindfulness as I recover from self-imposed compassion fatigue, or as the seasoned veterans call it, burnout. There were warning signs, I even … Continue reading Brave enough
As I stood to leave the small well-lit loft of the nearby community center, I felt somewhat convicted that I needed to do the one thing I never wanted to do. Publicly run a grief group. I looked around the room as people slowly trickled through the door, grabbing a cookie for the road that … Continue reading November Chill
My youngest daughter, while walking out the door today said she was quitting her internship at the local NAMI art therapy position. I asked why? I thought it was a good fit? She went on to tell me how her instructor for the internship had told her that her losing her sister was meant … Continue reading Things Not to Say…
In nursing, we learn to look for signs and symptoms that lead to nursing diagnosis. If you follow the clues, they usually lead to the problem or the source. What if you were broken and lived in a world where you asked your source for signs? It's like an equation in my mind. … Continue reading Signs and Butterfly Kisses
I walked into work in my normal groggy, grumpy mood. It was 0615 and my coffee hadn't kicked in enough to care about whatever shenanigans were going on with the assignments for the day. The operating room assignments for the nursing staff can be an unfun task for the head nurse and I was thankful … Continue reading Kintsugi, The Art of Being Broken
I was driving home from visiting my oldest daughter for her birthday. It's a long tedious drive I had done dozens of times. After losing her sister, only 20 months younger than her, and her best friend, I count every birthday as a blessing. She finally looked like my beautiful girl again, except now she … Continue reading Into the Storm
When I find myself down for days, I know I need a project or something to distract me. A goal, a craft, something to pour my energy into. This can go on for days or weeks, sometimes working through meals and long past the hours when I should be sleeping. The tricky part is this … Continue reading The Balancing Act of Loss
Raven and Roses 