Hello to my friends here at Weather Your Storm! — and Welcome to all who may be here for the first time!
I’d like to fill you all in on what’s happening behind the scenes for this website. First, I must say I have missed being here on the site to write the posts; and I have plans to get back to posting on a regular basis very soon. Please read on to the end of this post, as I want to share with you again on the topic of grief and loss.
For the last week or more, I’ve been so blessed to connect with a couple of wonderful organizations and the people who run them. I’ve been attending webinars, training sessions, and filling out worksheets as fast as I can print them. To say that I am a bit overwhelmed would be an understatement, but it’s all going to benefit you, the website, and myself as well.
Last Monday I had a wonderful job coaching session with Lottie V. Ryan from “Who’s That Lady”. She is such an awesome woman. Her company works with those of us who are chronically ill and helps us to live our lives to the fullest in spite of illness. She also job-coaches women entrepreneurs to help them develop their businesses to their maximum potential. She is absolutely one of the most caring, encouraging persons I have ever met, and I love working with her.
At about the same time I connected with Kingdom Builders Academy, a fabulous Christian organization which also works with businesses. Their teachings and live webinars are spectacular — but I’ve been training day and night. My goal is to add a business portion to the website in the form of consulting services which are tailored to individual needs. This is actually not far from what I’ve done in my prior work as a caregiver for 35+ years and as director of social services in a skilled nursing facility — I’ve just never gone through my own website to offer the same services.
Now, off the subject of business, and on to something more personal. Back in November and December I wrote some posts about dealing with loss over the holidays. I discussed the many “firsts” we walk through during that initial year of loss. For myself, during that first year after my father passed, the days that hit hardest were holidays, his birthday, Father’s Day, and any number of days I was jogged by a memory of him and could feel that tsunami wave of grief engulf me.
Well this past week I have once again been hit with the waves of grief. March 4th was the birthday of my dear, sweet grandfather. And every year, it rushes through my mind for a split-second whether I had sent a card, and that I need to call him. He’s been gone for maybe 15 years or more, but the grief wave still hits me every 4th of March. Also, one of my long-time patients had the same birthday, so memories of her flood my mind as well.
This Wednesday, March 9th, will be the 4th birthday my father has spent in Heaven. He passed away October 25, 2012. I miss him more than I am able to put into words. And the waves of grief still come, sometimes at the most unexpected times. The waves are not as strong as that first year, but they are still here. It is true that a loss of someone significant is always present, although the intensity does lessen with time.
So, I’d like to close the post for tonight with wishes for my wonderful father —
Happy Birthday in Heaven, Daddy! I miss you every day and I carry my love for you in my heart so you never really leave me.
I can identify Kathy.