The Pressure to Stay Alive When You’re the Only Living Parent
There is a thought I carry now that I don’t think we talk about much: I have to stay alive. I know nobody can promise that. I know loving my…
Finding Life Again After Caregiving, Grief, and the Things We Don’t Talk About
I knew losing my husband would hurt. I had already spent years worrying about losing him. What I didn’t understand was how much of what happened while he was sick…
Learning to Find Joy Again
Since losing my husband, I have learned that grief and joy are not opposites. They can exist in the same moment, sometimes so closely together that it feels confusing. In…
Apparently YouTube Shorts Are a Thing—and I’m Loving Them
Confession: until recently, I did not really know YouTube Shorts were a thing. Of course, I knew about YouTube. I have watched plenty of videos there over the years, but…
Dear Diary, Welcome to HalfCrazyMama 2.0
Well, it has been almost 16 years since I started Half Crazy Mama, and I feel like it is time for a change. Because if there is one thing I…
The idea of being a “widow”
Here is a little fun fact for you: After my husband passed away I needed to go through the long list of providing death certificates and removing him from or…
Trauma and PTSD as a Caregiver, the unseen hardship.
Did you know that 53% of caregivers report a severe decline in their health? 70% of caregivers grapple with their own mental health issues. About 33% have seriously considered suicide…
There is no crystal ball on what is the right answer when there are no good choices.
There is so much responsibility when it comes to caregiving for someone who is so sick. Remembering every pill, time taken, dosage and what is it for. Remembering doctors appointments,…
Sometimes it’s hard to remember the good through all the bad.
Looking back at my family's journey with my husband's health battles, it is sometimes hard to remember the good times. There was so much pain and heartache and tough decisions…
A small part of my big story as a 45 year old widow
One of the biggest parts of therapy that I have found helpful was writing. So here it is, some of my thoughts, feelings and advice (if you can call it…