The first thing I want to say is thank you to every one of you who reads my blog! I know how busy we can all be so the fact that you stop to read here means so much to me, I appreciate all of you. Another reason I'm thankful you read here is because my passion is not a cheerful one. It’s easy to skip my blog posts because they might be depressing. Yet, I feel compelled to share what life is like for people suffering from mental illness, substance use disorder, and grief. Some

Another Christmas is upon us. With COVID still disrupting our lives, it’s been another strange year (they even had to cancel some current NHL games! Now that’s not acceptable. Watching my team play is a favorite pastime. Let’s Go Ducks!) For me, last Christmas was still so close to Keven’s death that I didn’t really acknowledge it. I was living in a fog. This year my family will celebrate when my niece comes down here to visit next week (she recently moved 5 hours north). Wha

Happy Holidays once again. I’ll be honest - I’m not a big fan of “the holiday season” anymore. It is nice to see people more joyful, as they go about their shopping, etc. but it reminds me we’re not that way all the time. I think some places are more so than others. I love a lot of things about where I live, but it’s not known for being friendly. My ex-boyfriend, Peter, is from a small town where everyone knows each other - and even if you don’t, you talk to everyone you meet

Hi Everyone! Tuesday, December 7, was Keven's birthday. I just happened to be asked to take part in an interview on the topic of grief on that day. Here is the link if you want to check it out. The other two women in the video have also written about grief, Beth Robinson writes about losing her mom, and Kelsey Chittick lost her husband. I can't say I'm "thriving" but it depends on how you define that word. I am doing my best. Some days that means getting out of bed! I was so