A huge hurt builds inside me. My father died on Christmas Day 1986. It is a familiar, old hurt. This year it is freshly layered with new hurts and loss. Five months ago the my last living brother died. He was the eldest of my siblings. 13 months ago my brother who was closest to […]
The Last Living Child of My Parents
I wrote much of this post in July 2015: I spent a lot of the day with my brother, Jim, reading prayers he liked (Psalms), ones I like (Buddhist), telling him I love him, talking to him about family, telling him his love for me was always something I cherished, that we would make sure […]
Tucson Remembers and Cherishes the Departed
The All Souls Procession is just over a week away. My how a year can fly. Seems like just yesterday that I was on a Tram to the Procession End Ceremony at Mercado San Agustin, (where the Procession After-Ceremony is again this year) when I received a text that no one wants to receive. It was appropriate. […]
My Father's 100th Birthday
My father, Donald, was only 71 when he passed away. Today he would have celebrated his 100th birthday. Donald Eugene Hill was born at home near the tiny burg of Colburn, Indiana, on October 14, 1915. I saw the house once, abandoned and in the middle of a field; it has since been torn down. […]
Dodged Another of Depression's Spitballs
Being outside my home or being with non-intimates, not-immediate family, once took outrageous amounts of energy from me. I have learned to spend less energy in social situations, and control the contact I have with others. This is an ever shifting challenge. It is a balancing act. Beyond being a challenge, it also hurts. I […]
The Autumn Woman
Autumn reminds me of change and passing time. My acquaintance with this season is a pleasant, calm sort of familiarity. As the saying goes, “This is not my first rodeo.” I am growing into a contentment in this time of life that matches this season perfectly. As a creative spirit trained in scientific method, I […]