Moments with Mary

LOSING A FRIEND It’s an incredibly deep heartache of the soul when we lose a faithful true-blue friend.  While we encounter and engage with many different people throughout our lifetimes through school, work, faith communities, local community events, family and social gatherings, there are certain people we come across in our lifetimes that we create a special bond and deeper relationship with and so easily and openly call them a real  friend.  We will cross paths in this life with many people, but a faithful and true friend is a rare gift.  Our life is better because they are in it as so many of our life’s memories were made with them.  A faithful friend is someone we grow a deep affection for, someone we trust, someone we can count on, provides emotional support, especially when we are going through a difficult period in our lives.  And what is unique about this relationship is that it becomes reciprocal – we want our friend to feel that same trust, supp...

LIVING WITH A LIFE-LIMITING ILLNESS Living with a life-limiting illness or terminal diagnosis takes one down a completely different road of finalizing the last segment down this journey we call life.   When someone is confronted with the knowledge that their own death is imminent, this knowledge changes the entire course and trajectory completely.  Uncertainly has flipped to certainty and while not sure of the exact date, there is a greater awareness of being ever closer to life’s end.  No choices are given on the “who” “what” “where” or “why” with new limits being placed on the “when.”  Still, there are a multitude of choices and decisions to make in terms of “how” you want to finish your life.   Truth of the matter is:  death is a fact of life.  And while no one is ever really ready to die, you have now been empowered because you now know you have a shorter period of time left in this life.  And because you don’t get the time you wante...

EVERY DAY IS A DIFFERENT CHALLENGE It doesn’t matter how long your loved one has been gone, every day presents a variety of unique challenges trying to live without them.  Tying up all the loose ends of their life can be overwhelming and endless.  Oftentimes, it feels like solving a massive mystery trying to figure out all the various aspects of their life, i.e., personal, financial, employment, estate, computer, probate, etc., let alone trying to keep up communication with all of their family and friends.  Add to that, getting to all the little things they did, whether trying to find, repair or fix something that seemed so easy for them to accomplish, replacing something special into that space they once held dear, getting everyday chores or tasks accomplished, or finding a special way to honor or give away all that was precious to them.  The list goes on.... And if they died suddenly without any last minute advice or instructions, it can be even more overwhelming....