Hope-y New Year! Here’s to a hope-filled 2022. Not because hope will solve the climate crisis or end the culture wars. But just . . . because. Read more.
Barbara’s Riffs on Life
It’s Christmas — And This Is What Merry Looks Like
Want to know what merry looks like? Climb the stairs to the choir loft at the Toledo Cathedral in Spain. A merry scene awaits you. Read more.
Widowed: Life Goes On — And Some of Us Still Like It
Like it or not, life goes on. Our 101-year-old family friend had picked up the phone to check on me. If that’s not liking life, what is? Read more.
Widowed: Or, How to Wrestle a Christmas Tree Into Its Stand Without Calling the Neighbors for Help
The kids are coming for Christmas. A tree is in order. But how’s an newly minted widow to wrestle a Christmas tree into its stand on her own? Read more.
Breaking News: The Afterlife Is ‘Fantastic’
This just in — the afterlife is “fantastic.” That’s the news from Jon. And he should know, he’s been in the afterlife since February. Read more.
Widowed: As He Lay Dying
I wasn’t in the hospital when Jon died. I couldn’t hold his hand or say any words as he lay dying. Did he know his life was coming to an end? Read more.