After my husband Ericlee died from cancer in 2014, I wasn’t sure if I could ever run again. He was my coach, my running partner, and my biggest cheerleader for almost a dozen years. He trained me for my first half marathon and first marathon. He logged hundreds of miles pushing our daughters in the jogging stroller and pushing me to personal ... [Keep Reading...]
Navigating Grief
What Esther teaches us about standing up to racism
This past week a memorial service was held for George Floyd, a 46-year-old image bearer of God, who died after a police officer put a knee to his neck for almost nine minutes while he was handcuffed face down. Friends and neighbors affirmed that “Big Floyd” was a man of God with a heart of mercy for the most vulnerable. Floyd’s death has quickly ... [Keep Reading...]
Building a new nest: New practices born out of pandemic
Angled light makes it way quietly across the hardwood floors in my bedroom. I am still heavy with sleep when I hear the fluttering of wings and the low cooing of a Mourning dove building a nest on my balcony. We sleep with the windows open. Cool air sashays in, gently beckoning me to arise, to enjoy just a few minutes of quiet, before my kids ... [Keep Reading...]
When Hope is just around the bend
The other day we made turkey-and-cheese sandwiches on sourdough bread and packed oranges and a plate of cookies my friend made into a cooler bag. We piled the five of us into our royal blue truck and went for a drive. Some local friends recently posted pictures on Facebook of a beautiful lake they found about an hour from our house, and I had to ... [Keep Reading...]
Dear Vanessa Bryant,
The following is a letter originally posted on my Instagram @DorinaGilmore on January 28, 2020. I wrote this letter while flying home from a funeral in Texas after hearing the devastating news about Kobe and Gianna Bryant and 7 others who were killed in a helicopter accident. Although I don't know them personally, my widow-mama heart grieved ... [Keep Reading...]
The dance of grief and glory through the holidays
I still remember our first Thanksgiving after my husband Ericlee died. My family tried to hold it together. We tried to stay the course with certain traditions, but it was clear everything was off-kilter. He wasn’t there to run the Turkey Trot. He wasn’t wearing his silly apron in the kitchen, helping me chop the butternut squash for the soup. ... [Keep Reading...]
