Truths worth repeating
I have been writing regularly for over four years and have published 89 blogs on My Heart is Riding Shotgun. Most of them are timeless. I can reread and often still find myself so clearly identifying with the place I was in when I wrote it, though thankfully, I am usually not still standing there. …
I’m actually okay with it
I can be pretty stubborn. I’m a Taurus. A Bull. I like to think I’m more stubborn with myself than with others. My friends and family may say otherwise. Anyway, my stubbornness has been on point in a household matter with Hank Hank has had a few run-ins with the kitchen trash can. My 13-year-old…
This new math is hard
Math, or anything closely related, was never an enjoyable subject for me. I was lucky though. I had one of my favorite teachers in high school for Algebra 1 and 2. Mrs. Bowman was tough but encouraging. She was the kind of teacher that I would work hard for and really learn from, so I…
The other side of the bridge
Did anyone notice this blog is posted two weeks later than my usual schedule? Thank you to the three people who checked in with me about it. And the rest of you, I still truly appreciate you. (haha!) As I’ve said before, these are my self-imposed deadlines. But it’s the first one I’ve missed in…
Let’s forgive them
Tim had been in the hospital for four nights. On the morning of the fifth day, we put in motion the decision we had already made together, to transfer him into hospice care within the hospital. When I reflect back on this decision, it’s impossible to recall the conversation around it. There certainly was no…
Another year of the best of the best
In 2023, I went on 86 hikes, thirty-two of which were on trails new to me. For the past four years, I’ve been documenting my annual hiking activity. It’s not a race. It’s not a goal. It’s not a competition with myself or anyone. It’s simply an important part of my life. My move to…
Loss is hiding in the trees
It was just nearly six years ago that Tim and I hiked in Rocky Mtn National Park. Instead of going to a main entrance, we chose an area that was actually only trail head parking. No gate. No ranger. And in fact, there were only a few other cars parked there. We honestly knew very…
My one and only
November 24, 2023 – Today, I am reminded of this, when someone you love, who you are immensely invested in, has just died, But there is one thing that I learned only now, in this moment. No matter how old I am and how expected her death may have been, it really hurts, because my…
Grief is not a bad thing
My blog has been live since March 2020. I’ve published 78 entries and have had 5,370 visitors and 10,705 views. When I started, I didn’t have a hard list of goals. It was mainly this – write because it feels like something that will help me to heal; share because it feels like something that…
The only way out is through
Although I am not a risk taker, I have rarely shied away from a challenge. And for me, one of the surprising things I’ve found in grief is, it has made me feel like there’s nothing to lose and everything to gain. It’s an odd sense of invincibility. How can I be hurt? What could…