In Grief’s Waiting Room

Our Entryway. Memorial to Sergeant Sean Michael Lagrand Third Marine Air Wing, Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting. July 13, 1981-September 25, 2006 Remembering Sean  This Memorial Day morning, I hear my husband sniffle. I look over, sure I know…but I ask, anyway, as I wrap my arms around him and his blue terry robe: “What is […]


Weekend Reflection: Homecoming

In memory of Marlene Ann Downs Isbell, aka Auntie M.  August 3, 1938 – April 30, 2013 Heaven has gained another jewel.  15 Precious in the sight of the Lord    is the death of his faithful servants.16 Truly I am your servant, Lord;    I serve you just as my mother did;    you […]


In Loving Memory

 Sean and His Dad. After a Tour in Iraq.  Sean, Son Ayden, Sister Rebecca, Brother Ryan. Christmas, 2005. Ayden in Daddy’s Helmet. Memories on Our Wall. At Sean’s Grave.  Today, we remember. We weep, because we love. We rejoice in the gift of you. We read God’s promise, twice. Hymns echo in our hearts, resonating in the hollow […]


Orchids, Ivy, and Heaven

The Orchid (and the Ivy).  What Makes Paradise So Special?  “Who brought the orchid?” I asked my husband, Rich, when I returned home from work on my birthday several weeks ago. I hardly needed to ask him. “Sue,” he said, confirming my hunch. On a street filled with amazing neighbors, our next-door neighbor Sue stands out. […]


Are We There Yet?

Ayden and Rich at the Helm of Tohora Iti. Dana Point Harbor. June, 2009. Passage Making I was driving to my office the other day, a trip I’ve made five days a week for five years now. The route is familiar; if not for the occasional stray steer in the road at the crest of […]