The way we heal is all a matter of perspective
I knew the time would come eventually. Two years after that horrific accident that took the lives of two twenty-one-year-old kids, and she finally came to confront me.
I had thought about the other mother almost daily since the accident. I debated writing her a letter or sending her a sympathy card on the anniversary of our children’s deaths, but something always stopped me.
Why would she want to hear from me? What if I cause more pain?
I had ultimately decided to leave it alone and focus on grieving for just one life. …
There is no closure on love — a family’s final goodbye.
Two of my remaining children stood on either side of me, holding my hands as I mentally prepared myself to enter the room of the funeral home. I don’t remember who’s hand belonged to whom, but I knew they might have to hold me upright if my heart was unable to handle what was on the other side of the door.
The music coming from the room where my deceased child lay was eerily soothing, and nothing that my son would have appreciated. …
The emotional and physical benefits of a good snot session
I met a friend for lunch yesterday. While we casually chatted over hot wings and spinach dip on the outdoor patio of a quaint Irish pub, a song started to play that caused my thoughts to drift.
As he continued talking, I was blindsided with a memory that overshadowed the conversation and I felt that familiar welling-up of tears. My friend paused and asked what was wrong.
I couldn’t speak, so I turned my head away in an attempt to regain my composure. …
How a small shift in perspective can alter your world
This past year has been a bit of a bitch. We’ve lost our jobs, health insurance, homes, and sense of security. Many have lost loved ones. Our mental health has suffered from the loss of community, not to mention our immunity has faltered from isolation.
Despite the changes and losses we’ve collectively experienced, the past year has been one of my best yet.
Why? Because of what I’ve chosen to see.
The power of positive thinking is hardly a new concept. …
Indulge in a self-care day and regain your flow
I know. I know. The topic of ways to overcome writer’s block has been beaten into the ground a thousand times over. So what’s different about this one? All these tactics can be done in a single day, with minimal effort, and basically…in your underwear.
We’ve all been there. You have a great idea in your head for your next piece, you sit down and manage to type up an outline (that’s the easy part), but when it comes to the meat, you can’t figure out where to start.
You type out a few sentences in an attempt to stretch-out…
Ditch the baggage and enjoy the stuff that matters with these adventure hacks
When it comes to traveling, many are searching for new ways to minimize their travel footprint and focus more on the freedom to enjoy the adventure. The best way to achieve this is to analyze what you think you really need.
I recently took a very spontaneous road trip across the country from Seattle to Atlanta. The trip was more or less a business trip (if you count transporting an awesome service-dog as business), so I hopped on board as a chance to visit parts of the US that I’d never seen. …
From tragedy, our family’s favorite holiday tradition was born.
The days after Thanksgiving were quietly agonizing. No one really mentioned what was on their minds, at least not to me, but it was felt heavily throughout the family.
Our usual family tradition had been to take a ride up to the local Home Depot the day after Thanksgiving. We’d pick out a tree, my youngest son would stick his bare ass in one of the holes of the photo stand-in scene for the family picture, and then we’d decorate the following day. …
Here’s what finally worked to get my first break — and why it kind of sucked
I’d been toying with the idea of writing a salty article about not getting noticed. I’d already written a few whiny paragraphs when I eventually came to my senses and decided to focus on something a little more substantial and, for lack of a better word, mature.
I’ve been writing on Medium since July, but only started taking it seriously and writing daily since the end of October. I was able to get into some top publications early on, and over sixty percent of my pieces were getting curated. …
Advice on overcoming the anxiety and pressures of dream-chasing, and being okay with where you are
We see it every day. Our social media feeds are bombarded with ads on how to make a crazy amount of money doing this trick or that trick. Twenty-something-year-olds showing everyone how they achieved financial success, making six figures in a year’s time. Everyone is doing it. Everyone wants it.
Where’s your marketing video? How about your YouTube channel?
The pressure to achieve some level of success within a certain timeframe has been a part of life for generations in the U.S. We’re supposed to chase our dreams and know what we want to do with our lives straight out…
Tips from a professional short-term renter
As an aspiring vagabond, I have a lot of experience with vacation rentals. While I’m not an investor and have never rented out my own property or rooms to strangers, I do take advantage of them regularly and have stayed in about twenty different homes in the last three years. From campers in backyards to sailboats in marinas, I’ve become a bit of an Airbnb connoisseur.
My most recent stay has been a bit of an eye-opener. I’ve realized that I’ve become more of a short-term rental snob instead of the minimalist that I have been aspiring to be, and…
Viki Hines
Free-floating centrist, writer of inspirational stories, middle-aged “woke”-ness, loss, mental health, and minimalism. https://bit.ly/3o8eKfv
