Former TODAY show anchor, Katie Couric, recently remembered her late husband, Jay Monahan, who died of colon cancer at 42. She wrote a message to him on June 10, 2019—the day that would have been their 30th wedding anniversary. An excerpt of the message said: “Dear Jay…It’s June 10th 2019 and today would have been our 30th anniversary,” she wrote. “I hope you would be proud of the way I’ve lived my life and know you’d be proud of your …
We sent out of our first bag with items for both a man and a woman. They’re a married couple who are taking care of their sick child. Thanks to your awesome donations we were able to put together a great bag for them! This week’s featured donations are part of a theme—gardening. There are sunflower seeds, gardening gloves, and a sunflower growing kit. These donations segue well into what I’m going to talk about this week. Post Traumatic Growth …
Today is Mike’s birthday. He would have been 43 today. Last night we celebrated his birthday by sending a beautiful lantern into the evening sky (see the picture below). I was so grateful to be able to send the shining light into the sky and celebrate Mike. Since Mike died, light has meant hope for me. I remember reading the following passage online: Do you know that feeling; when you’re walking through a dark time and you’re wondering if hope …
May 26, 2019, marked three years since Mike died. Some people would call it the anniversary, but that word has a positive connotation for me and there’s nothing positive about it. Leading up to it, I was anxious and had a pit in my stomach. On the day, I just felt sick and sad. I’m sure these feelings will continue for the rest of my life. Last year, on May 26, we were in Long Island at Nick’s baseball tournament …
I highly encourage you to watch this TED Talk. In 4 short minutes, Nora McInerny describes grief in a way that 100% resonates with me. Nora is the author of the Hot Young Widows Club. I hope this helps you with a challenging time and/or helps you understand people going through grief! Update. One bag was delivered to a mom who is caring for very sick parents and an aunt. Featured donation. This week’s featured items are signs donated by Board …
I was at the gym the other day and I heard an interview with Erling Kagge, the author of Walking: One Step at a Time. The book is about how walking is an essential activity for our sanity, equilibrium, and well-being. What the author said really resonated with me. I decided then that I wanted to share it with you. Before Mike died, I never gave walking a second thought. I only saw it as a way to get from one …
Writing in a journal allowed me the freedom to actually say what I was thinking and feeling without a filter! And that was powerful for me. We live in a grief-adverse culture. Most people don’t know what to say after a death. Sometimes, people say hurtful things that diminish your grief. I was one of those people once and I know those hurtful things are unintentional. But they still hurt. Writing in a journal allowed me to work my way …
I remember after Mike died, I always had a water bottle with me. I drank more water than I ever had in my life. Looking back on it, I think it was a coping mechanism that I wasn’t even consciously aware of. Since then I’ve learned that when you’re grieving it not only exhausts you mentally and physically, but it can lead to chronic stress, trouble sleeping, anxiety, loss of appetite, and even general aches and pains. I felt …
I’ve talked before about some of the classes I took about grief. The Children’s Room was my go-to resource where I took these classes. Ironically, in 2013 and 2014, I ran the marathon for this charity in memory of my good friends’ babies who passed away. So, I was very familiar with the invaluable service this organization provides. Their mission is to create safe, supportive communities so that no child, teen, or family has to grieve alone. Their various support-group services are tailored to …
The majority of our donors and bag recipients are parents of relatively young children so I’d like to share a quote I was given in a grief class called “Parenting While Grieving.” The greatest gift you can give your children is not protection from change, pain or stress, but the confidence and tools to cope and grow with all that life has to offer them. – Dr. Wendy Schlessel Harpham I think this quote ties in with what I …
It’s hard to believe I launched The MRP Project a little over two months ago. I feel so blessed that it started out strong and continues to be successful! Feedback I’ve learned something important over the last two months; something my gut was telling me from the beginning. While I believe our bags for a boost provide emotional boosts to all recipients facing hardships, I’ve learned through recipients’ feedback that when there is a death involved, it’s best to wait a …
Delivery Update Thanks to your generous donations, three more bags for a boost were delivered last week. Our recipients were all men. One is a father who lost his infant son and the other two are fathers who lost their wives. One of our recipients said that his package was very uplifting and that it’s always nice to be reminded of the support from friends and the community. These bags were also the first ones that included hand-written cards of …