What is death to you? Is it a person or a thing? What if death was a soft heartfelt being that had all of the answers to all of the questions you’ve ever had? What if death was loving and caring and would carry you to your final resting place?

Learn more about this intriguing and handy guide at…

This blog was originally posted at Just Playing House.

It is every parent's worst nightmare to lose a child. I remember being angry at myself for even letting the thought cross my mind. It was unimaginable. Luckily this didn't happen to people like us so I had nothing to worry about...until I did. By the time I let myself believe it was a possible outcome that night, it already was the outcome. He was too far gone. No longer did I…

Originally posted at Just Playing House.

The topic of death makes most people uneasy. When it is the death of a child, even more so. It's no surprise that knowing what to say in those moments is rare. We all tend to go with the standard, "I'm so sorry for your loss". It's just what you say.

This is a topic I wish I knew nothing about. When Cameron…

Originally posted on Just Playing House.

My son went to bed a normal boy. Excited that Santa was on his way. Hopeful that in the morning, he would find everything he wanted under the tree. He would have! I never would have guessed that 2 hours later, when he woke up sick, it would be the start of my worst nightmare.

Every waking moment I replay that night over and over in my mind.

He had a very low grade fever that…

The other day I heard a comedian say that a successful marriage is when one partner gets to watch the other partner die first. Yes, that is pretty morbid, but it is also true: Marriage vows even state "til death do us part."…

Every once in awhile something happens with us, and I’m torn about writing it. As a blogger, I don’t want my blog to necessarily come off as doom and gloom, but these things do come up. So bear with me as I get this off my chest. Perhaps it will help another parent out there.

Sunday night, Alex asked if I would snuggle with him in bed. I said fine, as the boys had Monday off from school. I’m not as strict about sleep on…

At first it is disturbing: Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Finding Nemo, The Little Mermaid...no mothers. Most people notice the trend of parents (especially mothers) dying in children's movies when they introduce the classics to their children.…

Yesterday when news of Robin Williams' death popped up in my feed I felt an incredible emptiness in my core. Despite the fact that I usually hold this kind of sadness for those closest to me, those I knew in real life, there's a deep anguish that feels like a web of energy amplified by the mere existance of 'movies' and 'internet,' of places like 'facebook' where each of my friends and acquiantences is sharing the moment to acknowledge the loss and power of one amazing individual. One person…

http://www.mybeautifulstorm.com/1/post/2014/03/rituals-of-a-grieving-daughter.html

Caroline’s last hours in the hospice were peaceful for her but they were painful for us .   When the phone call finally came that she had died, despite the inevitability, the emotion was overwhelming.  

Caroline had battled breast cancer for seven years before dying at the age of 39.  In the days that followed I thought a lot about her parents, and husband, but I thought also about the children in our families as well as the children at the school  where she’d been a…

A tragic accident happened at our local Pittsburgh Zoo over the weekend.  I struggled with posting something about it for fear of what would happen in the comment section being that our platforms are ‘open’.  If you haven’t heard the story, a 2 year old boy, Maddox Derkosh, was lifted by his mother onto a railing at the African Painted Dog Exhibit.  As you can see below, Maddox wears glasses and his mother was just trying to give him a better view of the dogs.  When she lifted him onto the…

There is a piece of me that is missing. Anyone who has lost their mom can identify with the feeling.

Mother's Day is always a day that stirs up the emotions even more because of her absence. I do have a diversion because I am a mom. My kids and husband do sweet things for me during the day to…

Because my life’s passion is centered on the fundamentals of the overall well-being of children I see everything through the perspective of a mother, grandmother and parenting coach.…

The most awkward question a person can ask me is a simple, common question you ask someone you don’t know. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” This can put the person I just met in an uncomfortable position because I have to say “yes, but he died toward the end of my 6^th grade year, he had cerebral…

My heart was just not into it…

As you have noticed I have not had a blog post in over a week. My heart was just not into it, as it has been somewhere else. It still is a bit, but I am slowly getting out of my rut.…