bro·ken – adjective \ˈbrō-kən\ : separated into parts or pieces by being hit, damaged, etc. : not working properly : not kept or honored __________ On Tuesday she knocked shyly on my office door and slowly entered to drop mail on my desk. I said, “Thank you, Leslie.” Then I looked her straight in her blue […] Read more
“If you’ve picked up this book, chances are that you–or someone dear to you–have lost a loved one. Perhaps a spouse.” The painful first line of Richard L. Mabry’s 1999, The Tender Scar: Life After the Death of a Spouse*, was true. I hadn’t lost a spouse, but my mom had. And while I have […] Read more
Yesterday, I received a voicemail message I had been dreading. “Ms. Singleton, I wanted to say, again, how sorry I am and to express my sympathy at the loss of Precious. I also wanted to remind you that you requested a private cremation and we have her ashes here for you to pick up.” I […] Read more
Holding my dog as she died in my arms was one of the most painful experiences of my life. As much as I loved Precious, I was still surprised by how painful the experience of losing her has been. It still hurts, in fact. My first response to the intense pain was to try to […] Read more
There’s a sticky spot on my kitchen floor that grabs at my socks every time I walk over it. I think I spilled pineapple juice there last night, and though I tried to clean it up, it’s obvious I didn’t do a very good job. I haven’t had to clean up many spills like that […] Read more
Father God, I praise You because You are the Creator of all living things and because Your love for the those that You have made far exceeds my feeble affections. So, thank you, Father, that you made and love Precious. Thank you that she brought You glory by being fully what You made her to […] Read more
Six and a half years ago, Precious came to live with me. She is a black Labrador Retriever that my brother and his family rescued from a shelter. After a year of being part of their family, a cross-country move made it impossible for them to keep her, so she came to live with me. […] Read more
