Tag Archives: family

“Take Care Of Each Other”

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Jennie Spotila

“Take care of each other.” Those were the closing words in Anne Ortegren’s suicide letter. Anne’s death came as a shock to many of us, myself included. Anne was a friend and long-time supporter of my work. She made a … Continue reading →

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Better Late Than Not At All

Posted on November 23, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

Last night, I was really struggling to come up with anything to be grateful for. I can’t say that no one in our family died this year. I can’t say my husband is getting closer to returning to work. I … Continue reading →

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23 and ME

Posted on October 6, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

May the depths you have reached hold you still – John O’Donohue Twenty-three years ago today, I woke up with a sore throat. I went to work, and within a few hours I had a high fever and could barely … Continue reading →

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Unrest: Movie Review

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

Spoiler alert: This review discusses some specific scenes from Unrest. Edited to add: No, really! There are SPOILERS here! If you want to see and experience the film with a blank slate, then go see the film and come back … Continue reading →

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Another Reason to Stay

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

My Mom played the cello every day, even while enduring chemotherapy. Her last lesson was less than two months before she died. Mom loved the cello, but I never really understood her dedication. Even when I took piano lessons as … Continue reading →

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The Wall of Nope

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Jennie Spotila

I have reached a new low in life with ME. I call it: The Wall of Nope. The Wall of Nope is not a physical crash. It’s an inability to deal with obligations and necessary things. Here’s an example: I’m … Continue reading →

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Grief: Too Many Words

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Jennie Spotila

When my mother died, I could not sculpt words around my grief. Even several months later, I still could not express how grief felt to me. Now, a year later, I find I have too many words to shape and … Continue reading →

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A Year of Thanks

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Jennie Spotila

This year has been hard, y’all. HARD. Sometimes I think that my Mom’s death took a scoop of my soul along with her. And then just over six months later, my husband (my caregiver, my best friend, my everything) had … Continue reading →

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21

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Jennie Spotila

October 6, 2015 was my 21st “sickaversary.” I know the date because the onset of ME/CFS in my case was so sudden and dramatic. Not a single doctor told me that I could be sick for years. Not a single … Continue reading →

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A Miracle, and a Break

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Jennie Spotila

This year has been the most difficult of my life, starting with my Mom’s passing in January. Losing her was just the first in a cascade of bad news, and I made the decision to stop maintaining that laundry list … Continue reading →

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