Relationships & Family

Christmas Mourning

jbloustein — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:23:19 -0600

Holidays are supposed to be a time of joy and family gatherings. Which is exactly why they’re so devastating for people who are mourning the loss of a loved one.

In Memory Of...

admin — Sun, 01 May 1988 08:59:00 -0500

Each year, and especially on Memorial Day, thousands of people make a pilgrimage to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Back when I headed the Veterans Administration in Washington, D.C., and needed a quiet place to sort out my thoughts, I would often drive out to that monument. As a Vietnam veteran, I felt a kinship with the fallen heroes who lie there.

Usually my visit would be in the early evening, and as I wheeled up the path, the marble monolith would glow a soft rose in the rays of the setting sun.

Pet Project

jbloustein — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:30:34 -0600

My husband, Steve, and I were inconsolable when we had to put down our cat Angie after 13 years.

A Maine coon with fluffy brown fur and enormous green eyes, she had been rescued from a storm drain during a torrential downpour.

“Remember how she used to lie on your architect table and follow your pencil with her paw?” I asked Steve.

“Remember how she’d race into the kitchen whenever you baked oatmeal cookies?” he said. “She knew you’d give her a bite.”