315 results for 'he plays a harp'

My husband Eric was intensely fond of quail. His tattered copy of Margaret Stanger’s book That Quail, Robert sits on my shelf. Having spent many summers on Cape Cod, he was familiar with the northern

The last day I saw my father alive was the day before he died. On a chilly, late autumn day, my father’s dog and I drove to my parents’ home for our “normal” visit. As always, when we exited the hi

Thirty years ago, July 12, 1986, a young 29 year old New York City cop, Steven McDonald, was shot and wounded by a troubled teenager while on duty in Central Park, becoming paralyzed from the neck dow

By Nancy WorleyI needed time alone to work with my thoughts when my mom died.What I did not need was advice. I wanted no company.Getting through and beyond the loss of a beloved is heart breaking and

My grandmother, known to all her grandchildren as Nana, was in the hospital. She was terminally ill with bone cancer. When I was free from work with my rotating schedule, I would drive my mother to vi

A child full of wonder sits on my knee.She asks, “Where has he gone? Where can my pap be?”I hug her and smile, knowing just what to say.“It isn’t the same, but he’s not far away.Heaven’s for real, and

By Nan Zastrow AUTHOR’S NOTE:  Every fall, communities across the USA hold vigils and participate in the  Out Of Darkness or Suicide Prevention walks, to raise awareness and break the stigma of suici

By Janice Gorey Jackson“I can’t believe we’re here. We’ll see this amazing view every single night,” I said in a hushed tone to Chris, my husband of almost five extraordinary years, who sat beside

For many years I worked with my friend Mark in the fitness industry. Mark was the epitome of good health: he exercised daily, ate a ridiculously healthy diet, and did everything by the book to stay in

I’m going to start backwards. Not that I’m healed, far from it, but it only seems logical to take my life now as a given, or at least as a reality, and reflect on what I’ve gone through over the past

I woke up and rolled to the right side of my bed. My skin brushed over the rumples of my fitted bed sheet. I pulled a corner from the edge of the mattress sometime during the night. While digging thro

Never apologize for love. Because that’s what grief is: love.Love is defined as: strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties; unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the go

It’s called the Miracle of Life for a reason. The journey through pregnancy and child birth is astounding when you think of how scientific the body actually works. Cells multiply and divide at tremend

Traditionally, when a loved one dies, we are there to bring them condolences, food, hugs, support, and even caring for children or other tasks. In this era of the pandemic with social distancing, stay

Life was so easy that first summer that Tom and I were married. During the summer evenings, we would leash the dog and take off for a walk in the dark because we could not get enough of the luxurious

A MemoirMy grandfather, Opa, wasn’t a demonstrative person. It was as if he spoke with his eyes. If you did something wrong, don’t think he wouldn’t know. He could stop you in your tracks with just

Here’s the thing about life. It’s not fair. It never claimed to be and it never will be. Suffering isn’t distributed fairly either. It never is. When you experience a loss or hardship, there is no Cos

I miss Harry Potter.Can you miss someone who isn’t real? Oh, I think so. We miss a good book when it finishes, a favorite TV series when it’s over, and a good movie when the credits roll. Many adult

WHEN TOM LEFT, I CRIEDBob BaugherWe hugged good-bye on the porch. As he carried his suitcases to the car, my throat was tight as tears streamed down my face. He lifted the hatchback lid, placed the su

I've been staring at his handwriting for an hour now. He had a book of lists, you know, to do lists.I found some of his journals in storage, and I pore through them every so often. I take my finger an