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Ramón’s 37th birthday fell on a Saturday, so we got to spend the entire day together. I told him we could do whatever he wanted. His...
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- May 3
- 4 min
Woe to the child (birthday edition)
You know that ol’ medieval European saying, "Woe to the child who tastes salty from a kiss on the brow, for he is cursed and soon will...
- Mar 10
- 3 min
Mental hodgepodge
You know how Jeopardy! has a “Hodgepodge” category? This post might be similar. Blogpodge? Sometimes I sit down to write with a specific...
- Mar 1
- 1 min
Join the Inspiration Parade!
Today is the first day of Creativity March! You're probably thinking, "What is Creativity March?" I'll tell you. Creativity March was...
- Feb 16
- 3 min
Don't put the pity in serendipity (a grief no-no)
When you’ve lost a loved one, certain dates are etched in your mind. The big milestones are impossible to forget, but other, less...
- Feb 4
- 3 min
On the right track
This is one of my favorite photos from 2022, taken in November. Yes, it’s a selfie, but this was a moment I wanted to capture. I felt so...
![Rain, rain, you can stay [a while]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/031aef_75850fcb691c4703beb974b05aa32ea9~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_333,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/031aef_75850fcb691c4703beb974b05aa32ea9~mv2.jpg)
- Jan 12
- 3 min
Rain, rain, you can stay [a while]
Nothing quite brings me to life like the feeling before a thunderstorm — as the wind picks up and electricity builds in the air. I've...
- Dec 30, 2022
- 3 min
Simple + Deliberate
I get totally jazzed about the start of a new year, and I don’t care who knows it. Does that mean I’ll actually stay up until the clock...
- Dec 7, 2022
- 2 min
Season's Grievings
It’s the most wonderful time of year.* *but not for everyone I’ve intended to write this post for weeks now, but I’ve struggled with...
- Nov 25, 2022
- 3 min
A flight of imagination
I have a complicated relationship with airplanes. I was once headed to NYC for a work trip and had an awful asthma attack. I was gasping...
- Sep 12, 2022
- 1 min
Stories of Grief: Drew Dotson
After losing Ramón, I began connecting with other widows on Instagram. (See? Social media has some benefits!) I stumbled upon the Forced...
- Jul 13, 2022
- 2 min
Trial and error
When I took my first dose of Trikafta in March 2019, I felt, as the pills slid down my throat, that my life might be changing. And change...
- Jul 1, 2022
- 2 min
A joyful heart
When I sit down to write something grief related, I occasionally feel a twinge of worry. I’m concerned that by continuing to document my...
![[updated] Yes, I want a Fanta (Fanta). *tears*](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/031aef_9e0ede87f6744ed2aa610f48c1603f9a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_334,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/031aef_9e0ede87f6744ed2aa610f48c1603f9a~mv2.jpg)
- Jun 21, 2022
- 3 min
[updated] Yes, I want a Fanta (Fanta). *tears*
The original post has been updated below. It's no secret that I write a lot about grief — it's been a significant part of my life. Today,...
- Jun 1, 2022
- 2 min
No caveat(s) needed
Today, as I sat on a bench in the backyard, I was overcome with gratitude. I admired a happy Noodle, a beautiful sky, plants in bloom,...
- Sep 22, 2021
- 2 min
FUN! WAS HAD
Friday night at around 7:30, I ventured out of the house to attend a wine stroll. I did, in fact, wine and stroll, and it was so much...
- Aug 10, 2021
- 4 min
A nice ring to it
As the one-year anniversary of Ramón’s death approached, I went to a jeweler to get my engagement and wedding rings resized — an idea I’d...
- Jun 30, 2021
- 2 min
How's my happiness level?
Today, when setting up an online account, I was prompted to select a security question. The first one on the list was, “In what city or...
- Apr 26, 2021
- 2 min
Paint me surprised
On my birthday in 2013, Ramón and I went to a place where we drank wine and painted. For the next several years, Ramón insisted that his...
- Dec 1, 2020
- 2 min
All is fair
Last week, after checking my temperature, the dental hygienist led me to my exam room. “How’s your husband doing?” she asked with the...
My name is Drew Dotson, and my life has been anything but perfect, yet it's still perfectly beautiful. After growing up with a genetic disease, cystic fibrosis, I was blessed to meet an amazing man who loved me without bounds. Then he died.
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