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Category: My Rocky spiritual journey

A Brutal Forced March Across Germany — A ‘Wrestling with God’ Story

brutal forced march across Germany robert-tharratt-barbara-falconer-newhall

Decades after he endured a brutal forced march across Germany, World War II POW Robert Tharratt told his story for my book, “Wrestling with God.”  Read more.

Widowed: My Husband Is Missing Out — On the Sight of Two Galaxies Dancing in Space

NASA-dual-galaxies

I’ve been widowed three years. My husband has missed out on a lot in that time, including a parade of images from the Webb Space Telescope. Read more.

It’s Spring and My Garden Looks Dreadful. Here’s Why

heuchera-and-iceland-poppy-clashing

My garden looks dreadful. Here’s why. My plants won’t cooperate. The iris wants to be an iris. The azalea, an azalea. The poppy, a poppy.  Read more.

Spotted: Red Mary Janes at the Easter Vigil

red-mary-janes-at-the-easter-vigil mary-jane-flats-eitheror

When I spotted a pair of red Mary Janes at the Easter Vigil, my meditations flitted from shopping to death and resurrection and back to shopping.  Read more.

Not Dead Yet. That Feral Plum Tree Lives On

feral-plum-tree-blossoms

The old plum tree lying on its side was a messy scramble of black and useless branches. But it was not dead yet.  Read more.

Widowed: He’s Pushing Up a Daisy

widowed: he's pushing up a daisy california-native-erigeron-daisies

I checked in on Jon the other day and I found him right where we’d buried him. He was pushing up a daisy. Just one.  Read more.

Widowed: The One Good Thing About Grief


the one good thing about grief damaged-mandala

The one good thing about grief  is — there’s not a darned thing you can do about it. Someone has died, and that’s that.  Read more.

Widowed: He’s Still Not Back and It’s Been Three Years

widowed he's still not back  rain-february-19-bay-area

Where is Jon? I’ve been widowed three years and I’m still expecting him to come back. It’s not possible that he is gone for good, snuffed out.  Read more.

Widowed: The Things My Husband Wanted. (Or, We Are What We Want)

JON-NEWHALL

I feel the sharpest grief when I picture my husband alive and wanting something, planning something — picking out artichokes for dinner, making a grandchild laugh. Read more.

Widowed: We’re Older and Kinder Now

we're older and kinder now kindness-carey-mulligan-as-felicia-montealegre

I’m older and kinder now, but not because I’m a virtuous goody-good. It’s my irresponsible id, my reptilian brain, that wants to be kind.  Read more.

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