What does success in coping with death mean to you? Does it mean you can now walk your dog through the neighborhood and actually look up and smile as people go by?  Does it mean you went and bought flowers for the oak barrel that has been neglected for the past year? Does it mean you made chocolate chip cookies for the first time in God knows how long?  Or did you just go for a ride without crying or talk to your kids about something stupid and inconsequential?

      There are no secret answers to this process.  There are feelings, emotions, perceptions, and the heartfelt daily views of others going through their own loss.  There is no right or wrong.  To me, being human means I do not have to be like the people around me and react in the same way they do.  Neither do you.  Create your own successes, notice life, and react with your own style. 

                                                            Long and Short

The longest, shortest year of my life,

brings peace when needed,

sadness when required,

loneliness around the edges.

It fights to conquer fear,

celebrates the many victories,

and darkens the doorstep

with surprising timing.

Reaching out and knowing

that the further you get away

from the longest, shortest year,

will bring peace at last

to the place you got away from.

Mike