Category Archives: brain cancer

Closing the deal with my mom…

Posted on May 17, 2013 by

Last Friday, with sparring helmet, boxing gloves, and mouthguard, I stepped onto the testing mat with adrenaline rushing in my head. My heart was beating so hard I could feel it in my throat. “This is your black belt test! … Continue reading →

Posted in addiction, blog, brain cancer, childhood trauma, christianity, depression, eating disorders, Glioblastoma Multiforme, grace, gratitude, healing, hope, inspiration, love, major depression, mother daughter relationships, ptsd, recovery, spiritual healing, trauma | 11 Comments

Where heaven and hell meet

Posted on May 3, 2013 by

I never thought I’d find comfort in a cemetery, but I do. I visit my mom’s grave often, usually at dusk. It’s the only place where I can unpack all the sorrow and questions that linger in my heart. The … Continue reading →

Posted in brain cancer, christianity, faith, Glioblastoma Multiforme, grace, grief work, healing, hope, love, mother daughter relationships, motherhood, prayer, recovery | 17 Comments

Closing the door to depression…

Posted on April 16, 2013 by

Sunday was a wonderful and very hard day. That’s how most days have felt since my mom died, a mix of both horror over losing my mom and extreme gratitude for the people who are still in my life. But … Continue reading →

Posted in anxiety, blog, brain cancer, depression, fear, forgiveness, Glioblastoma Multiforme, grace, grief work, healing, love, major depression, mother daughter relationships, ptsd, recovery, spiritual healing, trauma | 13 Comments

doing hard things

Posted on April 11, 2013 by

“Will your wife be staying here during your procedure?” the nurse asked my dad as she motioned to me. Yuck. “Oh, this is my daughter,” he said sweetly as he looked at me and patted my shoulder. We locked eyes … Continue reading →

Posted in anxiety, blog, brain cancer, depression, faith, fear, Glioblastoma Multiforme, grace, gratitude, grief work, healing, hope, love, mother daughter relationships, motherhood, prayer, recovery, trauma, Uncategorized, wisdom | 16 Comments

Gratitude and grief…why we need both to be healthy.

Posted on March 21, 2013 by

“Don’t be sad, your mom is happy in heaven.” It was the day after my mom’s funeral when someone bearing a huge, plastered smile said those words to me. You want me to be happy? I thought. One day earlier … Continue reading →

Posted in addiction, blog, brain cancer, christianity, depression, devotional, eating disorders, friendship, Glioblastoma Multiforme, grace, gratitude, grief work, guilt, healing, hope, love, motherhood, parenting, ptsd, recovery, trauma, wisdom | 16 Comments

Living through the storms of life

Posted on March 20, 2013 by

We all get knocked down by life. Some of us are hit early on in life, and it takes decades to realize the damage we live out every day. But no matter what life has dealt us, and no matter … Continue reading →

Posted in addiction, anxiety, blog, brain cancer, christianity, depression, devotional, eating disorders, faith, Glioblastoma Multiforme, grace, grief work, healing, hope, inspiration, love, prayer, ptsd, recovery, spiritual healing, trauma, wisdom | 2 Comments

To my friends who are grieving…

Posted on March 18, 2013 by

When I first entered recovery almost 7 years ago, via a serious breakdown, I quickly learned how important grieving was to my recovery. I had a mountain of unprocessed sadness and pain that trailed me since childhood, and the only thing … Continue reading →

Posted in addiction, anxiety, blog, brain cancer, depression, devotional, eating disorders, faith, fear, Glioblastoma Multiforme, grace, grief work, healing, hope, inspiration, ptsd, recovery, spiritual healing, spirituality, therapy, trauma, wisdom | 7 Comments

Grief and chocolate frosting

Posted on March 12, 2013 by

Thanks to my dear friend, who doubles as my unpaid therapist, I experienced a light-bulb moment today. It has to do with chocolate frosting. Follow me here; it’s a strange tale, but there’s a good ending. When my mom was … Continue reading →

Posted in addiction, anxiety, blog, brain cancer, christianity, devotional, eating disorders, friendship, Glioblastoma Multiforme, grief work, guilt, hope, love, recovery, spiritual healing, trauma, wisdom | 8 Comments

a mother’s prayer

Posted on March 9, 2013 by

This is my prayer as I fight with intense anxiety and grief barging its way into too much of my day. I’m struggling to be a good mom as I process the past five months of losing my mom to brain cancer. … Continue reading →

Posted in addiction, anxiety, brain cancer, christianity, depression, devotional, faith, Glioblastoma Multiforme, grace, grief work, guilt, healing, hope, inspiration, love, motherhood, parenting, prayer, ptsd, recovery, spiritual healing, trauma, Uncategorized | 23 Comments

the quietness of death

Posted on February 22, 2013 by

I don’t know what I was expecting when my mom died. Maybe a trumpet sound? Maybe a world-wide moment of silence to acknowledge her death? I’m not exactly sure. All I know is death is much quieter than I expected. … Continue reading →

Posted in brain cancer, faith, Glioblastoma Multiforme, grief work, guilt, healing, mother daughter relationships, wisdom | 10 Comments