Revamping the Broken US Education System

Talking with a teacher friend of mine this weekend provided great insight into a clearly broken system. As background, recall that the current US public educational system stems from the efforts of devoted self proclaimed democratists Horace Mann and John Dewey. As Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education, Mann championed the idea of “commonContinue reading “Revamping the Broken US Education System”

Coping with Holiday Grief: Navigating Loss During the Festive Season

Last year I lost my two precious teenage boys to suicide, one in February, the other in December. We just passed Sean’s one year angelversary. Because they both died using firearms, my dear friend began a blog early this year that seeks to bring awareness to the issues of gun violence and suicide, especially whereContinue reading “Coping with Holiday Grief: Navigating Loss During the Festive Season”

Real Stories: Parenting with a Narcissistic Ex

This is a real life example of what it can look like when a narcissist gains equal parenting time. He will demand equal parenting time even though he has never before taken the children to the doctor (and probably doesn’t even know who the doctor is), dealt with the schools or made them their dailyContinue reading “Real Stories: Parenting with a Narcissistic Ex”

How I Spent My Perfect Winter Solstice

It is not often I have a completely unscheduled day that is completely open to opportunity but I was blessed to have such a one today. And how appropriate for it to occur on Winter Solstice. Here is how I chose to spend it. I took my time waking up between 7:00-7:30. Along with completingContinue reading “How I Spent My Perfect Winter Solstice”

Navigating Teen Years with Compassion

I read a lot of books about how to be a parent before I had my first baby and when my babies were little. How to sleep train, how to potty train, later how to homeschool. I love to seek out knowledge as I pursue the paths in my life. But what I found wasContinue reading “Navigating Teen Years with Compassion”

Remembering

WARNING TO READERS: This is not happy holiday reading. This is a raw retelling of a tragic event that occurred in my life one year out and expose. The content covers serious subjects such as suicide and abuse. Read at your discretion and with that understanding. It was a morning like this one year agoContinue reading “Remembering”

On Holidays

Exploring how to navigate holidays when life changes in the wake of divorce and death

Honesty in Loss

My personal expressions of what feels helpful to those facing loss during the holiday season

Holidays Bring up Memories

Reflecting on past holiday memories after losing family members. 🍂

Holiday Loss

When you lose someone the loss can be accentuated on the holidays. Today it is Halloween. In the morning I was at the middle school where I have volunteered for 10 years. It was the first school my oldest son entered after being homeschooled through elementary. I wanted to keep a casual eye so IContinue reading “Holiday Loss”