Tattoos and stones? Unusual combination, or totally related? For me . . . they are totally related. My tattoos serve as stones of remembrance. Let’s take a look at two examples of stones of remembrance before I relate them to my tattoos. Struggles During Their Forty-Year Journey When we read Exodus and Deuteronomy, we learn…
If you haven’t read part 1 of Helen’s story. Read it here first. Narrowly Escaped Death Helen narrowly escaped death at Auschwitz. However, she was not free. Yet. The note given to the SS officer saved Helen, her sister Pearl, and 500 other women from walking straight to the crematorium. But seeing the cattle cars…
Holocaust survivor Helen Weingarten* shares, “I fought to survive each day. I didn’t know if we would survive the next day. Then, we would survive the next day. We lived like this for 180 days.” * Her real name is used with permission. Holocaust Survivor It was a humbling and emotional experience to interview…
If you know Ruby, then you definitely know Ruby IS a gem! * Her real name, used with permission. Today is Ruby’s day! It’s World Down Syndrome Day! If you aren’t wearing fun and funky socks, go change them right now! Typical of Neurological Struggles Nicole and Lehr decided not to have the…
“There is no shame in having Alzheimer’s disease,” Laura* can confidently say after living with it for the last two and a half years. * Her real name, used with permission. Not being able to spell the word we or how to calculate the tip after dinner alarmed her. She told herself it had to be…
“A scar is a mark left by a healed wound. My scars signify healing,” writes author Vaneetha Risner. Yes! They definitely do signify healing. As one with a “zipperhead” scar from brain surgery, I look at my scar in the mirror almost daily and know it represents my healing from Moyamoya disease. The Scars That…
Little did Leslie* know when she met Grant for lunch to discuss a mutual friend that he would become her supportive companion during her journey of overcoming. Soon after their lunch meeting, Leslie and Grant began dating. * Her real name, used with permission. The neck pain Leslie began experiencing in January of 2014 didn’t…
Like every college freshman who adds the “freshman fifteen,” Bridget* began dieting and exercising her sophomore year. Before long the glamorous idea of getting healthy turned into an obsessive behavior. One that took over her life. * Her real name, used with permission. Despite reaching the goal of studying meteorology at her first choice college,…
When her doctor’s nurse called her and said, “You need to come in. Bring someone with you,” Tracy* felt certain the endoscopic test results weren’t going to be good news. * Her real name is used with permission. Causing Her Unusual Symptoms Several months of aggravating heartburn, losing two pounds a week, and…
Side effects: you know, those warnings on the medications we take. All of us are guilty of not really heeding those warnings. We convince ourselves they only occur in 1% or less of those who sampled the medication. We naively believe those side effects will never happen to us. Anne* will tell you otherwise. She’ll tell…