Happy New Year

Wishing everyone a very happy New Year.

Getting Through It

It's all over now and the hard part begins. The rituals have been performed, respects have been paid and everyone else returns to their regular lives. Getting through the holidays has been tough. This is a time for family, or so they say. So what happens when a family member dies during the holidays? Do you just ignore all of the Christmas carols and commercials featuring happy families around the tree? Unfortunately the holidays are not happy for everyone.

Letting Go

It's all over. Part of me has accepted that my family member is no longer here. Part of me is reluctant to think about how it happened so quickly. This past week I've been on a roller coaster of emotions. I wonder if there will be a time when I'll feel normal again. This is a part of life, but I wonder why we are always so unprepared for it when it happens.

Learning to Let Go part 2

I've been focused on a family member's illness over the past week. It's amazing how much rises to the surface once something like that occurs in your life. You begin to see situations and people in a totally different way. I've been asking why some things I thought were so important are now so trivial.

What I'd like to know is why do people always ask for a status of the person's health. Yes, they want to know, but each time you have to answer that question you're revisiting that painful place. If you know someone going through a time like this, better to just let the person know you are there for them if they need you. Let the person come to you if they want to talk. Don't keep asking them every other day how things are going. Unless you can do something to change the situation, you are not helping.

Perhaps people feel like they should do something, and since all they can do is ask for a status, they do that regularly. If you are not sure what to do, I have a suggestion. Give of yourself by offering your support instead of taking by constantly asking to be kept informed. This may sound a bit harsh, but for those who have (and are) experiencing it, I think you understand what I mean.

Learning to Let Go

Knowing when to let go is something you learn over time. I wish it came naturally, but it doesn't. Right now someone dear to me is in the hospital. It's not likely that he'll leave it, at least not in the way in which I would prefer. On some level he has already left it. Whatever you believe about what happens when someone passes, the transition isn't only for the person who is dying...or has died. It is also for those who are left behind.

My own transition right now is happening as I write this. I am learning to let go. I am learning that releasing something...or someone does not mean that I have lost them forever. I am letting go and releasing the need to have him here with us. Learning to let go is teaching me lessons beyond what I could have imagined.

Writing About Family Members

I've been wondering if a writer should write about family. There is so much material there - usually lots of drama too. Buried within our experiences with various family members we can find a lot to comment on. The thing is, is it worth the hassle?

What happens when your family reads your work and finds out what you really think of them? If nothing else, it may eliminate the need to show up at certain family gatherings. If they don't like what you've written, you won't have to worry about how you'll be received because they won't sending you any invitations.

Women Entrepreneurs

My radio show, "Women Entrepreneurs - The Secrets of Success" has really taken off. Stop by and listen to the latest show. www.blogtalkradio.com/CoachDeb.

I've also started another blog (I'm a writer, I can't help it). womenentrepreneursecrets.blogspot.com/

It's great to have so many outlets for my creativity. The possibilities are endless - which is always a good thing.