Unintentional Poet

If you follow my blog, you will know that we lost my sister seventeen months ago, when my nephew was just seven months old.  Today, he turns two and is a whirlwind of fun and love.  He has forced us all to keep going through some really tough times, as, too, has his big sister.  My sister would be so proud of them both.  I wanted to write a poem to celebrate him - and her continued presence in his life. Today, You Are Two Today, you are two.    I have watched you grow,    As babies do,  And marvelled,   At your perfect, quizzical face,  At your soft cheeks,  Dimpling,   As you smile   And run away,    Whenever I stoop To ask you For a hug. Every time, I catch you and you giggle. You place your head, On my shoulder, For the briefest of moments; I breathe you in - A privilege, a delight. In an instant, You are off again, Laughing and whirling; You sho...

Eight months ago, I wrote a post entitled ‘The Complexities of Grief,’ outlining how it felt to be three months into the grieving process for the loss of my sister, at 35, to cancer.   It has been my most-read post.   Whether natural curiosity, or a desire to find words that resonate with their own experiences, I’m not sure, but people, it seems, are drawn to honesty, openness, raw reality – as I am when I see it in others. So here is another attempt to snapshot life and grief, a bit further on.   Ten short months in, there is still much that trips and entangles, daily, as well as much to celebrate and be thankful for. People often ask how I am, how we all are, how we’re still standing, still going about the business of living after such a catastrophic loss.   I’m not sure that there is a straightforward answer, but if you linger with me a few minutes more, you might at least have a snapshot of how the grieving process looks now, for me. One writer rece...