Today I sit here thinking about how life can turn out so differently than you could have expected. Keith and I went to church this morning like we have started to do on a more regular basis since the Sunday before Thanksgiving. We decided to just try Sunday School since I haven't been able to handle going to church service at that point. That very first Sunday going to our brand new class I broke down and told everyone about Mari. It's the Sunday before Thanksgiving so you can imagine what … [Read more...]
The days, months, and years to come
I sit here wondering what life has in store for me in the days, months, and years to come. Just two years ago at this same time, I knew Keith, my husband, and I had a life of taking care of a severely autistic child that within the next few years would more than likely have to be put into some kind of home for her own safety. She was getting harder and harder to take care of and she kept escaping out of our house. We knew we didn't want to do this but we knew that the way things were going we … [Read more...]
To Feel Lucky…
What happens after sixteen years of marriage? Is it still wedded bliss or is it a nightmare you can't wait to get out of? Well if you're lucky, it'll be as close to wedded bliss as the two of you can be. What I mean by wedded bliss is not that when you first start going out and everything feels so fresh and new and you just feel so owey goowey with each other or even that first year of marriage where you can tell the couple is newlyweds. I'm talking about how after sixteen years of marriage … [Read more...]
16 Years of Wedded Bliss, Could Anyone Ask For Anything More
It's been interesting how this past week has gone for me. I started to get really sick towards the end of the Super Bowl on Sunday. The rest of the week I guess can be best explained as feeling just BLAH. I feel like I'm finally on the mend. During this time I've implanted myself up on my couch all week. Then I decided to move all of Mari’s website to a new provider. My hope is that I'll be able to get better exposure to get Mari’s memory out there better. I want her to live on in all … [Read more...]
That Hideous Doctrine by John Thomas
I wanted to share this with everyone. It was given to me while my husband and I were taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University at our church over two years ago. I just recently found my copy of it and wanted to share it with all of you. From Moody Monthly/September 1985 That hideous doctrine of hell is fading. How often have you thought of it in the past month, for instance? Does it make a difference in your concern for others, in your witness? Is it a constant and proper … [Read more...]
Touching Souls Bereavement Photography
If anyone can support this cause, it would mean the world to me. To find out why, please read what I have typed in below and my reasonings after: "At the heart of it all, what matters most is: Who has touched our lives and Whose lives we've touched. "Touching Souls Photography, supporting parents whose babies or children die, relies entirely on donations and gifts from individuals and organizations. Donated dollars are used to support direct expenses for the photographs made for … [Read more...]
Mari’s Hospital Story
I wanted to share with everyone what I've been working on. I think most of you already know that I've decided to write a book about Mari's life and for those of you who don't, now you do. I have the first two chapters complete so far and now I have the thirteenth complete. The thirteenth chapter in her book is going to be her hospital stay. What I've done is taken what I wrote in her CarePages while she was in the hospital and edited it. I now wanted to share the edited version with all … [Read more...]
Did you know that Angels are among us?
Angels are from heaven, We already know. But where are they at, Only God knows. Sometimes they hide And do miracles so great, But sometimes their Right there in plain sight. How can we tell An angel is beside us? Look for the goodness And innocence all around. It may surprise you to find out that each one of us has our own, One that is there guiding And protecting us all day long. No it's no one you'd suspect Or even think of; However, to know they're all around Can … [Read more...]
HER FINAL DAY
It's a beautiful day by anyone’s account. The date is July 22, 2008. The sky is crystal clear and Caribbean blue. It's around eighty degrees and only getting hotter by the hour. A typical summer day in Chicago. The day has one vital flaw: It's the day I'll bury my one and only child. Her name is Mariana (Mar-ē-awe-na). She was eight-and-a-half years old when she left this earth on July 16. I guess if you're getting ready to permanently say good-bye to the one person who has completely occupied … [Read more...]
Contemplating Christmas
T'is the season of joy, happiness & love, or at least that is how it used to be. Last year, what would've been our first Christmas without Mari, we got to escape and go to Hawaii. I didn't have to deal with the glaring reality of her not being here. Now this year has come. It's technically our second Christmas season. But the reality is so different. This is like it's our first one without her instead. It feels like ever since Thanksgiving Day I've been just getting by. Almost like … [Read more...]
