loss | Tuesdays with Laurie

The calendar indicates that the 25th anniversary of my mom’s death is approaching. So many changes have taken place in that span of time. Every day I think of things I want to tell my mom:

Four Generations: mom (left), maternal grandma (middle), me (right), my son (middle)

FOUR GENERATIONS: my mom (left), my maternal grandmother (middle), me (right), my son (middle)

I miss you. Deeply.
Not a day goes by that I don’t think about you.
I’ve written a book that’s coming out in November. I think you’d be tickled pink!
At 58, it’s hard for me to fathom that I’ve surpassed your lifespan by 5 years. I’m still galled that you died at the age of 53. I hate cancer!
I love you more than tongue can tell.
I’m a better person because of your example.
Thank you for instilling in me the love of reading.
And while I can’t possibly begin to know the anguish I put you through when I ran away from home at the age of 15, I want you to know that I’ve leveraged that experience and turned it into positives.
You were right, Len is a “keeper.” We celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary last month.
You’d have a blast with a cell phone—especially the FaceTime feature!
Your grandchildren have grown into wonderful adults.
Every now and then when I look in the mirror I see a glimpse of you in my features and I smile. I’m extremely proud that you’re my mom.

What would you like to tell your mom?

Pins and Needles by Laurie Buchanan

Do you find yourself dancing a wicked two-step with emotions such as depression, anxiety, or stress? Do these feelings jab at you like pins and needles in an otherwise beautiful existence?

Depression is about the past. It’s about something we lost, or perceive that we lost. It takes a great deal of energy to dwell in the past. For many, this is a place where anger and resentment reside. What’s more, worrying about the past can’t change anything that’s already occurred. That’s impossible. What’s done is done. It is what it is.

Anxiety is about the future. It’s about uncertainty; the unknown, the “What ifs?” Like the past, it also takes a great deal of energy to dwell in the future. For many, this is a place where fear resides. There’s not a single person in the history of mankind who has changed a future outcome through worry.

Stress is current. It’s how we cope with the present moment; the here and now. As a Holistic Health Practitioner, I can tell you that up to 90% of all illness is stress-related. Prolonged stress leads to a weakened immune system and the development of illness—body, mind and spirit.

As my friend Mary says, “Stress is not an event — it’s a reaction to an event.” We don’t always have a choice about the circumstance in which we find ourselves, but we always have a choice about how we react to it.

Listen with your heart,

Laurie Buchanan

“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
~ Laurie Buchanan

Tuesdays with Laurie

"Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing." —Laurie Buchanan

Tag Archives: loss

Things I Want To Tell My Mom

Pins and Needles