By Sherrie Cassel It’s so hard to not ruminate on the days leading up to Rikki’s death, when he was so sick and weak – and I was terrified. I try to not think about those things as the anniversary, the tenth, approaches. I just found myself doubled over in pain as a memory piercedContinue reading “One Tin Soldier”
Tag Archives: life
As stone is to flint
By Sherrie Cassel As my older brother riffled through our dead mother’s belongings, I sat and waited for his assault on my mother’s last belongings to be over. Her calendar of her days, when each of her children visited or she spoke with us on the phone were priceless items I could not part withContinue reading “As stone is to flint”
Fashionably Late
By Sherrie Cassel Racing against the clock; it’s 11:28 p.m. I know, with eight billion people in the world, there are bound to be a few wistful, woeful, and wonderful missives saying goodbye to 2025, and so, here’s mine. I can describe my year as wonky and wonderful. I finally, after what has seemed likeContinue reading “Fashionably Late”
Wrapping it up
By Sherrie Cassel 24 days from today, I will navigate the tenth anniversary of my son’s passing: it’s a biggie. I’m not making light of it, trust me; for some reason, this one hits harder than even the first two anniversaries. I believe I was numb for the first two years, and then … IContinue reading “Wrapping it up”
With no particular place to go
By Sherrie Cassel 3 a.m. musings – and I’m wide awake, ruminating on craziness, on the rollercoaster of a 63-year-old life. I’m pushing Medicare age, and, yes, I’m hoping that in the two years I have until I’m “there”, there will still be Medicare. We’ll see. Health insurance, Covered California, while not ideal, is alsoContinue reading “With no particular place to go”
Merry Misnomers
By Sherrie Cassel Thanksgiving has come and gone, and Christmas is on the horizon, speeding toward us, targeting our need to keep up with Jones’s conspicuous consumption. Christmas, in America, is an insane time anyhow, but now with the social pathology taking place in my country and other parts of the world, Christmas is aContinue reading “Merry Misnomers”
We each go grieving on and on, hurrah, hurrah!
By Sherrie Cassel Hokusai Katsushika (1760–1849) Cacti close shop for the winter. Cottontails hibernate. Coyotes come into neighborhoods because their prey has gone underground. Californians hustle and bustle all year round. Southern California has two seasons: perfect and a little less than perfect. I didn’t grow up with fiery hillsides of changing leaves or monthsContinue reading “We each go grieving on and on, hurrah, hurrah!”
Is it necessary to forgive — even posthumously?
By Sherrie Cassel Mom would be eighty-four today. I miss her so very much. We drove each other crazy — often; this is common in dysfunctional families, but…we loved each other fiercely; it’s called trauma bonding. Mom always liked to be the first person to call each of her children on his or her respectiveContinue reading “Is it necessary to forgive — even posthumously?”
Emily Dickinson
by Sherrie Cassel The psychedelic lights undulate on my office ceiling. Springsteen is lightly playing his harmonica, and I am grateful…a sixty-three-year-old hippie wannabe. I wasn’t old enough to be truly aware of the bombs bursting in midair. What does it mean to “lose someone in the war” when you’re only five years old? I’veContinue reading “Emily Dickinson”
Coming Clean
By Sherrie Cassel I’m a liar. I am. I lie to myself and so, I lie to others too. Or … do I? Do I really? Ahhh, the curse of the double minded, right and left-brained, ENTJ, bipolar, Geminian mooned, Scorpio rising, Christian, Mystic, theist, non-theist, dualistic, divided, synthesized, religious, spiritual, whew, I’m tired fromContinue reading “Coming Clean”
Grief to Gratitude 