Karen Chase

Yesterday I went for a walk along the lake.It was warm enough for shorts, which felt like a gift this time of year. As I walked the path, I noticed something I hadn’t paid attention to before. The sidewalk that surrounds the entire park had major cracks caused by the huge tree roots beneath it. Over the years, those roots had pushed up through the concrete, leaving the path uneven and broken in places. The city had spray-painted these cracks red to draw attention to the hazards that await...

Grief is sadness, yes, because you miss the person you loved, but it is also anger, because something precious was taken from you without your consent. It is fear, because you couldn’t stop the worst from happening, and now your heart wonders what else might be beyond your control. It is guilt, because your mind replays every moment, searching for something you might have done differently. Grief is disorientation, because the world no longer works the way it used to. It is judgment —...

Losing someone you love changes everything. It’s like the ground beneath your feet shifts, and suddenly, the map you once followed is gone. Three years in, you might feel like you’re stuck between the past and the future, unsure how to move forward. But here’s the thing - life after loss isn’t about forgetting or moving on like nothing happened. It’s about redefining your purpose and finding new meaning in the chapters ahead. Let’s talk about how to embrace this journey with warmth, hope,...