Losing a child has got to be one of the most desolate journeys a mother and father can take, and the only people that can come close to understanding it are those who have experienced this kind of loss. My mom and dad lost a son to drowning when he was just three and a half years of age. My sister and I were only six weeks old and were robbed of the chance of ever getting the opportunity of meeting our beloved brother. He passed away many years ago on July 17, 1962 (p 195). Losing a loved one no matter what the age is probably the most challenging aspect of life that we all must endure in life. I have lost both of my parents, and I am now at peace, knowing that they are with their cherished son in heaven.

For some, the holidays can be a sad reminder as I tend to remember the awful phone call on December 14, 2015, regarding my mom. We spent our Christmas holiday that year with my mom in the hospital, where she eventually passed away on December 29, 2015. During this time, very dear friends of mine were there for us to give us some solace, laughter, and some much-needed time away from the hospital. Holly and Brad Blissit. My mom has always told me time and time again; time has a way of healing our wounded hearts. Although time doesn’t really heal the pain associated with a loss; it’s what we do with that time that matters. Dealing with grief is the process by which we heal. As much as we don’t want to, I think it is essential that we experience the pain. It can’t be healthy to try to escape it. For me, therapy helped and I do think my writing has also been a coping mechanism that helped me get through the grief. Whatever your coping mechanism may be, find it as it can actually help you feel better in the long-term.

My mom knew Holly and Brad and was thrilled that we were stepping out of the hospital to celebrate a bit of Christmas cheer. Anyone who knows Holly and Brad would agree that it is just what the doctor ordered. Brad had us laughing. We had not laughed in days. I did not think I could ever consider getting through this holiday with a grin, let alone laugh.

Read More

A question that looms amongst many of us is there really life after death? Do we leave this earth and come back as something else or do we turn to dust? Losing a loved one can often lead to many unanswered questions as to why, and I often wonder if my mother is watching over me. I clearly remember when she got sick and hospitalized that her prognosis was not good, and death would soon ensue. I was able to see her in the hospital and say good-bye. It was incomprehensible to me to think that I would never see her again. So, I asked myself what happens to people when they pass away? I remember my mother always told me that once she passed away, she would look over me as my guardian angel. Is this the beginning, middle, or end of our existence? Have we lived before in another time, another place? What awaits us when we die? Is the physical being all there is to our existence; or is the spirit or soul what makes us who we are? No one truly knows what happens to us when we die.

Read More

When I began my journey to write “Blessed to Be Unwanted,” at that time my mother had no real answers to any of the many questions I had as to why she wanted to write a book about how she was put in the arms of the Doyle’s. However, she was determined to get her story told as she wanted to share with the world of how she was handed over to strangers on a street corner in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania at just five days old. The month of May is Foster Awareness Month as well as recognizing Court Appointed Special Advocates, otherwise known as a CASA. As many of you may know, I became a CASA in October of 2017. I have been working with a beautiful young child, and I know I have made a positive impact on her life, and you, too, can volunteer as a CASA. Read More

In observance of National Nurses Day celebrations across the United States I decided to write about nurses to honor my mother and my grandmother as well as to pay tribute to their work as nurses. Not to mention so many other nurses that I have met throughout my life in the course of my work as a hospital biotech specialist, as well as friends. Did you know that National Nurses Week is the birthday of Florence Nightingale (1820-1910)? Florence Nightingale was born in Florence Italy, on May 12, 1820. Apparently, the city in which she was born is what inspired her name. Florence was evidently socially awkward and did not like to be the center of attention. From a young age, Florence took up ministering to the ill and poor people in her village. “She eventually concluded that nursing was her calling; she believed that vocation to be her divine purpose,” (biography). My mom used to tell me, “Those that make great nurses are choosing a career to walk alongside patients to help them during their difficult times is a calling.”

Read More

In honor of World Autism Month, I have decided to write on behalf of my son, Devin Doyle Henderson who was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at a very early age, at just 18 months in 1991. Read More

When I hear people tell me that they don’t think that they can’t write a book or can’t manage to exercise because something is stopping them, or just simply making excuses for why a person can’t get the job they want, or why they can’t improve their lives and so on. I think you get the point. It makes me feel that all you are doing to yourself and your well-being is letting an excuse hold you back. People make excuses for all sorts of reasons. I get it life is not easy, and my life is not by any means perfect. Read More