May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Like so many people, I have struggled with depression and anxiety for most of my life. Although I had been in counseling since I was in my late teens, it was only after my second bout of postpartum depression that I received the medications that would not only stabilize my mood but also allow me to use the tools that I had learned in therapy more effectively. This does not preclude me from having bad days. Instead, it helps me through the tough times that are a part of living.

Do you ever feel blue in the spring when the world is coming back to life? If so, you are not alone. In this post I discuss those feelings along with "gray grief," the feeling that comes with uncertainty and strategies that have helped me. #chronicillness #grief #changes

The one thing I’ve learned over the last 14 years, since Mike died on March 13, 2012, is that I can not predict how I will feel or what the time leading up to the date will look like. The only sure thing is that I will feel sad and miss Mike with all my heart. #widow #griefblogger #griefadvocate

Continuing bonds is something that I learned about in the grief groups that I belong to and books I've read. It is the connection with our loved ones who have died. In this piece, I explore the ways that I find my mom in my life and the many ways we are alike, It is a source of comfort and strength.

In “Bittersweet Season,” I reflect on living in the duality that the holiday season brings. There is the grief I feel for my husband and parents who have died while also finding moments of joy through creativity. It’s always a tough time of year, but I know that I will live through it. #poetry #holidaygrief #creativityheals

The holidays are a time when the grief I carry with me takes a toll on me. This year I had an epiphany that I develop holiday grief amnesia, where I forget that I feel this way every year since my husband died. I think it's the brains way of protecting me from emotional overload.This year I was able to give a name to it, which has helped me to be more gentle with myself.

"Whispers of the Soul" is a reflection on missing a loved one and still feeling their presence in the world around me. #poetry #poem #girefreflection

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This Banned Books Week (October 5–11, 2025), join EveryLibrary and We Believe in standing up for every reader’s right to read and access every story.

In this poem, I explore how grief shows itself in dreams, where the brain tries to reconcile the longing for a loved one and the reality of death. #poetry #poem #dreamsandgrief

Growing up, I found change hard, as I wanted predictability in my life. Unfortunately, that's not how life works. In June of 2024, I began to do online improv. It was a life changer, as I learned to be present in the moment and adjust to the world as it was. #improv #lifeisimprov #poem #poetry

Brandon Johnson’s order directs city police not to collaborate with federal agents in immigration enforcement

In this blog, I reflect on the importance of community support not only in my grief journey, but also in finding joy after the death of loved ones. Photography and improv led me to build communities that I didn't think were possible. #griefjourney #communitysupport

"The Power of Tiny Little Joys" is a reflection, inspired by Mary Catherine McDonald, PhD. of finding tiny joys no matter what's happening personally or in the world in order to work against our brain's negative bias. I've learned to savor these moments of joy in order to manage the tough times in life. #poetry #poems #findingtinylittlejoys

Nearly one in five Canadians who had COVID—more than more than 3 million people—went on to develop long COVID, also called post COVID 19 Condition, with little to no support