Oh, Cora…I am so sorry for your multiple losses this year. I can totally understand the inner conflicting emotions surrounding the circumstances. I know it feels lonely and lost and painful right now. I knew I had to put something joyful in front of me in order to survive the loss. I hope you find that “something” that will spark your joy. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, dear one. ❤️

OMGosh! That is terrible to go through losses like that so close together. It keeps you reeling and off balance. I’m so sorry. I am glad you found some comfort in my words. Thank you for being here and letting me know. I appreciate your kind words more that you know. Maybe our paths will cross one day and we’ll meet around a campfire! ❤️

From Nov 2016 to Apr 2018, I experienced huge deep losses; 3 deaths, 2 that were completely unexpected and another loss that was like a death. My mom died at age 87 in Feb 2017, then 8 months later while vacationing in HI with my sister-in-law and my partner, my sister-in-law had a sudden cardiac arrest on the Waikiki Beach while wading in the water. They worked so hard to revive her, but to no avail, and a few days later we had to make the gut wrenching decision to suspend life support. We brought her cremated remains home as we sat stunned on the plane ride home a week after we were supposed to be going home. And then just as I was getting my emotional bearing back….the guy who bought my mom’s house, her home if 51 years, my childhood home, lied to us when he said he was going to remodel it and update everything, instead 3 months after he bought it he tore it down and every single tree, shrub and walkway with it, including the basement that was now filled in with gravel….like she had never been there. No one told us and as we happened to drive by “mom’s” old house we saw the empty lot covered in dirt and gravel. I dropped to the ground and wailed as did my brother. It was like liding mom all over again, only worse.

As I continue my healing, I’ll remember your wise words if needing to put some joy in front of me, something to look forward to…like attending a SOTF event in 2019.

First…thank you, Sally. I can’t take any of the credit, though. I just write whatever God tells me to. When I’m listening to Him is when I do my best work.

I actually almost flunked senior English in high school. I have always been a storyteller and when Mr. Virgo died, I used writes as my way to work through that. I was told by people (whose opinion I put WAY too much value in) that I wasn’t a good writer. If I’d been encouraged, I would have a much larger volume of work by this point in my life. I think it’s like any other skill, the more you do it, the better you get. ❤️

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Huge loss in my 20’s, huge betrayal my 30’s at a jumping off place in my 40’s. Best leap I ever took!