Practicing Abundance

No photo for this one, because as I was getting it, I ruined the moment.  Davis and I were enjoying a quiet evening at home, doing some of our favorite things.  We'd made some popcorn and ate it while gazing out our beautiful bay window. We'd read aloud from our fiction book together after dinner.  As we were reading, Reggie came up and, after circling a few times, snuggled into Davis's lap 😍 It was a good cuddle; the kind that doesn't happen every day, or even every month.  The kind that stills my heart and captures me into a moment.  The moment of watching Davis' strong hands gently massage Reggie's furry belly in just the way he loves it.  Seeing the complete and utter loving trust this cat has in Davis.  It feels like a holy moment. An opening into the tender parts of our hearts as I ponder - those hands would have gently held and comforted our children, had they lived. Those hands have so much love in them.  It is a moment where, despite bei...

  my photo from the Minnesota Arboretum The past few weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster. Twice, I have described to my therapist what I am experiencing, and she has nodded compassionately and said, "you're grieving" Huh?  I thought I was struggling with a mental health issue, running old unhealthy thought patterns, or possibly going crazy, and she says I'm grieving?  At the same time my mind paused to question and examine that idea, my heart resonated deeply with it and I wondered simultaneously how this could possibly be grieving and why I hadn't seen it before.  It baffles me how grief shows up so unexpectedly. When I was younger, I thought grief had to always be sad feelings around the one we lost, or around children in general. Even though I have learned more and more about grief, and specifically my grief, it still shows up in ways that I don't expect.  I am so grateful for God leading me to my therapist. She is truly a life-changing, heart-rescui...