Good Mourning, Goodbye.

We all suffer loss and we all move through five distinct stages of grief.

- We go into denial because the loss is so unthinkable. We can't imagine it's true.
- We become angry with everyone, angry with survivors, angry with ourselves
- And then we bargain. We beg, we plead. We offer up everything we have. We offer up our souls in exchange for just one more day.
- When the bargaining has failed and the anger is too hard to maintain, we fall into depression, despair, until finally we have to accept that we have done everything we can.
- So, we let go. We let go and move into acceptance.


Grief may be a thing we all have in common, but it looks different on everyone.

It isn't just death we have to grieve. It's life, it's loss, it's change. And when you wonder why it has to suck so much sometimes...it has to hurt so bad...the thing you gotta remember is that it can turn on a dime.

But that's how you stay alive...when it hurts so much you can't breathe, that's how you survive. And you remember that one day, somehow, impossibly, it won't feel this way. It won't hurt this much.

Grief comes in its own time for everyone, in its own way. So the best we can do, the best anyone can do is try for honesty. The really crappy thing, the very worst part of grief is that you can't control it. The best we can do is to let ourselves feel it when it comes. And let it go when we can. No, the very worst part is that the very minute you think you're past it, it starts all over again. And always... EVERY TIME... it takes your breath away.

To the writers of Grey's Anatomy, THANK YOU.

I'm Open Minded, but...

...I think the very last thing on my "Bucket List" would be get naughty in a trash bin. I'm just sayin'...

Here's the story:

Couple's trash bin tryst takes wrong turn

The couple wanted to be alone but were held up at knifepoint instead
The Associated Press
updated 3:44 p.m. CT, Tues., Sept . 15, 2009

WICHITA, Kan. - A tender moment in a trash bin went all wrong for a couple who found themselves being held up at pocket knifepoint.

Police said two 44-year-olds had climbed into a dumpster to be alone just after 6 p.m. Saturday when two men interrupted them and demanded their belongings. Officers said the man and woman were engaged in "an intimate moment" when they were robbed of their shoes, jewelry and the man's wallet.

Police said one of the robbers was a 64-year-old man who egged his 59-year-old companion on during the robbery.

The suspects were found a short time later and the stolen property was returned.

Who's My Daddy?

I was awakened by an early morning phone call recently that wasn't a pleasant one at all. On the other end was a girl that I've been having problems with for a few months...(ugh!!)

While giving her what I felt was the best tongue lashing of her life, she mentioned something that she probably believed would hurt me... something that would be painful to hear.. something that would resemble a verbal stab...and something that people have made jokes about before. I have to tell you I take great pleasure in knowing that the words didn't hurt at all. In fact, the words spoke more to her character flaws than my own.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.. I AM CURRENTLY LIVING WITH MY PARENTS!! *gasp* Yes, it's true. I decided that while I was on hiatus (spin for unemployed), I would come home to NC and spend the time that I had with my aging parents. I didn't have to come here. I could have stayed in Alabama, or moved back to Nashville or Springfield.. but I wanted to spend some time with Mom & Dad.

I'm not trying to justify my actions to the girl who is trying to cause me pain; I just want it posted publicly so that maybe someone else who is in my same situation might take the time to evaluate what is important. That's what I've tried to do.

Look, I'm one of those girls who never got along with her father. WE FOUGHT CONSTANTLY when I was growing up. He was not free with the compliments, and I certainly didn't know how to keep my mouth shut with my displeasure. Bottom line, we were not close.

Fast forward to today: I've been home since the end of March, and my father and I have gotten close. We spend time together and we laugh together; we may have some verbal jousts here and there, but nothing hostile or mean... just loud discussions that usually end in laughter. Kind of like my talk shows.

Conclusion: I have longed for, my entire life, a good relationship with my Dad. So make fun of 40 year old woman living at home with her parents. It's okay! Because I wouldn't trade these moments with my Dad for anything in the world. I love you, pops!