Acceptance is hard.  Acceptance that someone you love has died; will never be walking through that door again.  Acceptance that your life will always be different, from this day forward.  In our household growing up, all time was defined as “before or after Mom died.”  Kind of like when you first become a parent, life […]

Heartlinks Grief Center, based in Belleville, Illinois serves all those that need help with their grief journey in Southwestern Illinois.  The staff truly understands how to help others grieve – and caring is central to their mission.  As Valentine’s Day approaches our hearts turn to those we care about.  It’s a special day we set […]

Blessings.  How do you define blessings?  My internet search found this definition: bless·ing [ˈblesiNG] NOUN God’s favor and protection:  “may God continue to give us his blessing” a prayer asking for God’s favor and protection:  “a pastor gave a blessing as the ship was launched” grace said before or after a meal. a beneficial thing […]

Okawville is the town we call home.  It is one of those small towns where people feel safe, where people care about their neighbors and root on the hometown basketball team.  I was pleasantly surprised when we moved back a couple years ago to find lots of activities and groups to join – a community […]

On Christmas Eve morning last week Pastor Jeff at St. Peter’s United Church of Christ in Okawville, Illinois, preached a sermon on “The Right Time”. The gist of this timely sermon was that everything that happens, (both those wonderful things and those things we dread), happens at just the time it is destined to.  At […]

“Christmas time is here, the most wonderful day of the year,” goes the chorus of the theme song from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  One of the TV shows we always watched as a family.  My Mom loved that little-animated cartoon with Burl Ives as the narrator.  And, like most of us, she loved Christmas.  The […]

JUST DO IT. is Nike’s tagline that challenges each of us to act, today.  Now.  Don’t wait, just do it.  Whatever that “It” is for you.  Of course, they want it to involve new shoes, but that’s ok.  The point is right. Just Do It (stylized as JUST DO IT.)[1] is a trademark of shoe […]

Heartlinks Grief Center presented the launch of We Lost Her  on November 16th, National Grieving Children’s Day.  It was held at the 4204 Main St. Brewery in Belleville, Illinois.  Heartlinks hosted our “Book and a Brew” and so many people came.  We sold out of books!  The influence to have the first book signing, the […]

I’ve learned a lot over the years from Heartlinks Grief Center’s Director Diana Cuddeback.  New ways to think about grief and how the process of mourning and grieving can be a blessing.  A time of self-reflection, healing, and growth. As I recently wrote my first book, We Lost Her, Diana helped me to be brave […]

Heartlinks Grief Center feels like home to me.  I’ve volunteered there for seven years.  I found Heartlinks by searching on the internet for grief counseling services in our area in Southwestern Illinois.  A couple of results came up, and I emailed them to see if they needed volunteers. My two sisters and four brothers and […]