Tag Archives: suicide

Perfect Moment, Suicide

Perfect Moment Monday: Second Wind

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This weekend we four suited up for a cause. We participated in the Second Wind Fund Walk/Run/Ride to benefit suicide prevention. We ralked (wan?) in memory of a family member and of my husband’s student.

(Should anyone want to retro-sponsor us, here is where you’d do so.)

I’ve had some dark times. In the past I’ve considered a permanent solution to what seemed to be a permanent problem.

But here I was on this beautiful end-of-summer day. Walking with the children I feared I’d never have. In tandem with a man I thought I might never meet. Using my very capable body to do all that I do, the same body that for years I acknowledged only its betrayal.

I texted our accomplishment to my parents and sisters, whose love for me during my entire life has been as firm as the earth and as infinite as the heavens. Roger, Tessa, Reed and I munched on delicious homemade goodies at the finish line and enjoyed people-watching, dogs, magicians, Clifford.

And I wrote this blog post in my head for you, my friends who share a passion for reading and writing and living.

Walking, loving, creating, eating, moving, connecting, breathing. Being alive is just so exquisitely perfect.

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You know that dilemma that writers have? The one about being able to share their stories without revealing too much about other people’s stories?

Yeah, that.

I may or may not have experienced an additional perfect moment here.

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Perfect Moment Monday is about noticing a perfect moment rather than creating one. Perfect moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between.

Once a week we engage in mindfulness about something that is right with our world. Everyone is welcome to join. Details on how to participate are at the bottom of this post, complete with bloggy bling.

Please visit the links of the participants at the bottom.

Here’s a perfect moment from my week. I hope you’ll share yours, too.

To participate in Perfect Moment Monday:

  1. Between Sunday night and Tuesday night, write up your own Perfect Moment in a blog post, on Twitter, on Facebook, or simply leave a comment below.
  2. Grab the URL of your Perfect Moment.
  3. Use LinkyTools below to enter your blog’s name and the URL of your Perfect Moment
  4. Visit the Perfect Moments of others (from the links below), and let the writers know you were there.

Once you make a Perfect Moment post , you may place this button on your blog.

What Perfect Moment have you recently been aware of? Be sure to visit these moments and share the love, and please come back next week (click to subscribe).

Family, Perfect Moment, Suicide

Perfect Moment Monday: The Upwelling

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Back home again after the events of the past week.

First, for those of you wondering, Gino is doing well. He has been an incredible support this week to those who need it most.

Second, here is a Perfect Moment from this sorrowful week. “Perfect” for me today is synonymous with”overflowing,” for that is what I felt a few days ago.

The minister dismissed us as he ended the short memorial service.

Unexpectedly, one of the Tweens (age 11) stood up and went to the podium. “Wait,” he asserted. “I have something to say.”

And he read a letter to his dad. It included love and questioning and some anger. He moved the microphone to his level and looked out at the people who were there for him. He held the room as well as any million-dollar speaker does. His timing was impeccable — we hung on his words, and even found reasons to laugh with him. He managed in his P.S. to work in an off-color quote from Slingblade and make it seem okay within the walls of the chapel.

There was not a dry eye.

I had lumps in my throat, in my chest, in the center of my head. I had lumps in my lumps. It was all I could to do keep them from exploding.

My Perfect Moment lies in his courage and clarity, and in how he completely broke open my heart.

1. Martha has two Perfect Moments: one with a 13 year-old, and one regarding the splendor of nature.

2. Susan, so not a girly-girl, celebrates the start of football season with a memory.

3. Amber says her Perfect Moment was “this morning with all of us piled in our king-sized bed snuggling, playing and talking about our day ahead. No matter what mud is slung during the day, ours always ends together talking about it on our bed.” Mmmmm. Delicious. (And you should check out her gourds.)

4. Courtney has a daily double: (1) she reconnects with and old friend, and (2) she realizes, amid heavy burdens, just how strong she is.

5. Yours…?

Write up your Perfect Moment anytime during the week, and leave your link in the comments below. I’ll keep moving the links up to the body of this post.

Once you make a Perfect Moment post, you are qualified to place this button on your blog.

Click here for last week’s collection of Perfect Moments, and consider adding this to your Google Reader.

Everyone needs a pick-me-up now and then.

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Sending out my gratitude to Amber, Andy, Anna, Antigone, Beth, Cassandra, the Casual Perfectionist, Catherine, Cathy, Chicklet, Courtney, Crystal, Deanna, Denise, Excavator, Furrow, Gabrielle, Geohde, Kim, Kristin, Leslee, Loribeth, Luna, LJ, Lollipop, M, Martha, Mary Beth, Meghan, Melissa, Michell, Millie, Mrs Spock, Ms Planner, Nancy, Pam, Phoebe, Robin and Sue, Steph, and Tammy.

Your support, love and light are even now having rippling effects in the lives of my loved ones and me.

Namaste, my friends.

Death & dying, Suicide

Dots and circles

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We have traveled to be with loved ones.

I am sorry for talking around the situation. I feel comfortable writing about my experiences of what’s going on, but it feels wrong to tell the full story because it belongs more to others.

A BIG thanks for your outpouring of support, love, light, prayers and warm thoughts. They are being received and they are truly working wonders.

From the time I heard the news until we arrived last night, I had this need, a pounding need, to know the sequence of events. How did people hear? What time? What led up to certain things? How did people react?

I needed to organize the bits. But it felt like I was connecting dots without being able to make a picture. Last night I was able to get that timeline from my sister, and consequently I slept well. It is comforting, for some reason, to turn the dots into a clearer image. Even though the image still doesn’t make sense.

Last night was also about letters. From one to many, and from many to the one. It was very cleansing, and I am so proud of The Tweens.

On tap today? A birthday party at noon. For the world’s best M&Ms organizer.

A few hours later, a viewing.

Talk about the circle of life.

Tomorrow we’ll hold a celebration of life.

We are surrounded by love and light. Among us and from those of you holding us in your hearts.

I am so touched to be held up by you all.

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Question: what has been the most helpful thing someone said or did when you experienced a significant shock to the system?