Traveling the World Through Others
Jonah always has one beta in a small, but properly filtered, fish tank on his bureau. If you know about betas, you know that they are beautiful fish. Unfortunately, you can only have one of them because male betas will fight each other to the death. You can put them in in a tank with…
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It sounds morbid and maybe even a bit unbelievable, but I love being in cemeteries. Please understand that I have also had a number of loved ones who have passed away and are buried in numerous locations throughout the East coast, so I am not in anyway trying to simplify the heartbreak people feel when…
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There is something unique that happens when you lose someone you love. It happens on every level: emotional, spiritual, physical. It permeates every moment in every possible way. Actions and events become something happening “after” the person has been lost. A clear delineation between the days before and the days after is created; the world…
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My friend passed away over a month ago. She was cremated and on Saturday her family held her funeral. She was only 43 years old, but it was a graveside service, which I always felt was reserved more for the very old and people who died alone. I did not believe that my young friend…
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Yesterday, my friend showed me something. Two weeks ago her mother-in-law passed away. My friend has been grappling with mourning her death because she struggled with dementia for twelve years. The last six years, her mother-in-law has been unresponsive. She has been unable to swallow properly for the last year. Everyone prayed for her to…
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“I’m trying to tell you something ’bout my life/ maybe give me inside between black and white”– Indigo Girls I feel like my friend is trying to communicate with me. After three days of grieving and asking for some type of sign, little things are starting to seep through. I say seep through because I…
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My friend loved REM. Every mix tape she ever made me had an REM song on it. I have been listening to their songs for the last two days. I feel like somewhere in the lyrics and melody there are answers. “You were a shirt of violent green, uh huh/ I never understood…
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I feel a bit lost today. After hearing about the death of my friend, I am struggling to stay grounded. I cry at random times. Swimming this morning was good, but I am still left with a strong sense of sadness. Memories of our times together growing up keep entering my mind. The bring a…
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I met my friend when we were in sixth grade. During middle school and high school, we were inseparable. She was the maid of honor in my wedding. I was the matron of honor in both of hers. She was with me through both of my pregnancies. I stood next to her at her father’s…
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After I attended yet another funeral, I realized the power of our shared experiences as human beings. At a time when our country feels so polarized, I am reminded that we are all born, live, and die in very similar ways. After walking through the receiving line at the small funeral pallor, I was funneled…
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The Wandering Empath 