I had my little artists make cards for their moms for Mother's day around their favourite thing to do with their moms.Fraser- what is theis lovely picture about?"I love to walk on my mom's back to make it feel better ""I love to read with mom" Erika"I love when my mom paints my nails"For me, I love … [Read more...]
Motherless Mother’s Day
I miss you. I love you. I wish you were here.I lost my mom nearly three years ago. Mother's Day is damn hard. Those of us who have lost our mothers are invisible. It is too sad and tragic for others, especially now. This post is for all of us who long for our mothers every day and feel that ache … [Read more...]
Making an Impact. Can blogging save lives?
Remember when I wrote this: If only we had known.? It was about how I wished we had known more about skin cancer. How we could have, maybe, saved my mom. And how I wished we had checked into things sooner. It was about a lot of other "what ifs". I have always loved the sun. But I have … [Read more...]
If only we had known.
You know when something happens and you think, "If only I had known I would have {insert change here}." Well, over the last few years I have thought about that a lot. I have thought about how we used to pester my mom to get her moles checked out but we never really thought too much about it. We … [Read more...]
The First Sorrow
The death of a mother is the first sorrow wept without her. ~ AnonymousIt will be one year this weekend since I said goodbye, since I held her hand, since I saw her face. It will be one year since I leaned on her, since I cried on her shoulder, since I had my best-friend. It will be one year since … [Read more...]
Missing
Last night my grade one daughter came home with a little book in her school agenda, along with the instructions: "read with me". Intrigued, I asked her to read. Thrilled, I sat beside her as she read every word: I am here. I like to play.I like to play here.And so on. I was so, so proud.She read me … [Read more...]
Behind That Door
There's a room in my mind, behind a strong, locked door. A room full of memories and loss. A room made for grieving. A room I'm not ready to enter. Not just yet.But that door, it beckons me. Irresistibly. Everyday thoughts, images and sounds bring me rushing towards it, and in an instant I'm … [Read more...]
Finding the Courage to Live Life Consciously
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the … [Read more...]
And We Wait
We have come so far in the last 200 years when it comes to modern medicine. But what I have learned this week is that we still have a really long way to go. There is no cure for cancer. There is no totally effective treatment for melanoma. What works for some doesn't always work for others and the … [Read more...]
The Final Stretch or The First Step
This is the final week of the intensive Interferon treatment for my mom. It has been a wild ride and I know we will all be happy when it is over. But, this is by no means "it". She has 11 more months of Interferon self injected 3 times per week and we are waiting to hear whether she will … [Read more...]