I am in bed, Marley right between us, her big paw thrown over my arm, Finn at the foot of the bed, her sweet rock head on my feet. Shiva has already come and gone, the few precious moments each night when she seeks me out for some love. This nighttime ritual is deeply special … More On Next Chapters
The old house sighs after a long day, creaking as she settles into the night. The sounds of sirens blaring off in the distance, the city nowhere near slumber. Tucked into our cozy bed, the dogs snoring between us, the cat purring atop me, a blessed nocturnal truce. Something so simple as our bedtime routine, … More Bedtime Stories
In this world full of madness, may I first breathe, letting words of kindness flow before the poison of quick tempers and sharp words escape from my lips, wounding everything and everyone. Let me act with empathy and compassion instead of frustration and a closed mind, Let me not only embrace the beauty of difference … More A Wish for the World
Today, I am grateful; Grateful for the love in my life that sustains me through it all. Grateful for the challenges and sorrows that have taught me with their pain and helped me to grow. Grateful for family and friends who help me remember who I am and where I came from when I forget. … More On Gratitude
I am no stranger to grief and yet it still punches me in the gut every single time. How can it not, though? A part of our hearts shatter with each loss, never really healing completely. We learn to live around the pain as best we can, around the jagged holes left behind. My first … More Another Dance with Grief
Dan took the girls out for their last business of the evening while I went around turning off lights. Marley took care of matters, but Finn just wanted to sniff around. As Finn is a big Momma’s girl, I boasted that I could get her to go. Easy-peasy, right? Except that Finn got interested in … More Just Another Bedtime at Chez Gainey
I cast my shadow on a moonlight night, my heart filled with a strange elixir of sorrow and gratitude. Precious gifts given, precious gifts stolen away; some ripped away suddenly like the tearing off of a bandaid, others fading away slowly with cruel deliberation. No matter; what can I feel but gratitude for all I … More Shadows and Light
I am sitting in the waiting room of the O’Neal Cancer Center at UAB where Dan is having a PET Scan done, the final test before he officially begins the Alzheimer’s clinical trial. It’s been a tough day for my sweet husband, with the chaos of the upstairs renovations going on non-stop and no coffee … More On Meetings of Chance
This is my ninth Mother’s Day without my mom, the wonderfully wacky, ‘Heavy D’. The familiar ache in my heart, the rush of memories, the tearing up at Mother’s Day commercials (Damn you, Publix!) and Hallmark cards; it’s just a tough time of year for so many of us, whether from the loss of our … More Mother’s Day Thoughts and Lessons
I dreamt of my mother last night. Her blue eyes sparkling with mischief and stories untold. I felt her embrace, so very real, one I have ached for these past too many years. Chaos swirled around us, a world on fire, but my mother stayed calm, a tender smile upon her face. She held me … More A Love Note to a World on Fire
The View from Here 