Life Transitions Resources. Coping With Divorce, Grief Support, Career Changes, Financial

Sep 23, 2009

Mashup Resources For Living Life

Helpful blog on living life. Over 50 categories ranging from advice,useful techniques, humor, weird facts, travel,top 10 lists and more. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly...all is one place

in reference to: Tons Of Mashup Resources. Top 10 Lists Of Everything. (view on Google Sidewiki)

Sep 3, 2009

Don’t Leave Surprises!

I wrote here a few weeks ago about my friend whose mother was nearing death. Not unexpectedly, that end came soon after I posted the blog entry. My friend was, and still is, feeling rather rough around the edges – that is expected. The grief remains strong and close to the surface – also expected. As another dear friend put it, grief never really goes away, it evolves, and we learn to deal with it in all of its guises. Time really is about the only solution. Loss of a parent is among the top five stressors of our life. In my friend’s case, probably it falls even closer to the top right now because his father had died several years ago. My friend has now assumed the role of “ancestor” – the one at the front of the line. A new and rather humbling role.

My friend has also had some time now to discuss his mother’s estate, with his brothers and with their counselor. His mother left a Will, but it was rather generic, and the unexpected came out during the conversations. Another brother had been assuming that certain concessions would be made for him because he was seen as the primary care-taker of his mother during the declining years. He had thought that certain debts would die with his mother. But those concessions were not spelled out in her Will. His brothers beg to differ on his expectations, and so, along with dealing with the death of their mother, they are now also dealing with an increasing animosity amongst themselves at just the moment when they really should be holding each other close and sharing their pain and loss. My friend’s new motto – Don’t Leave Any Surprises!

I am certain our own Springboard experts would agree wholeheartedly! A Will is an act of love. A clearly articulated Will is an act of supreme love. We all know we are going to die, and planning for that eventuality is the ultimate act of kindness to those we love the most.

Do you have your own end-of-life plan in place? Do your parents? It can be a difficult conversation, and Springboard’s team of compassionate professionals is aware of that and prepared to help you get it started and keep it going. Don’t leave surprises for your loved ones!

Springboard's™ programs and services are designed for you, regardless of where you are in life's journey. We invite you to explore and share our resources with employers, groups, organizations, professionals or anyone supporting others through a transition. Visit us today at http://www.launchingnewlives.com/

Aug 19, 2009

Hospital waiting rooms

Heaven’s waiting room…
A dear close friend received the word today that we “children” always dread. Mom is in a coma, we’re terribly sorry, sir, there’s not much we can do but wait… and even though the end is a blessing – his mother has been lingering for a long while – the fact of the finality is still hard to accept. My heart goes out to my friend.
We spend so much of our lives thinking our parents are indomitable; with advances in medical care and general health, more often than not we reverse our roles and we children become the caretakers of our parents. That caretaking is fraught with hurdles and pitfalls. Are you ready to take on this role?

Please come by our Springboard website to see how we can help you find the best options, create positive opportunities, for you and your parents in the coming weeks, months and years.

Jul 26, 2009

Using Life's Lessons

From Margaret Rush, The Springboard Group, Inc.

"Students learn what they care about...," Stanford Ericksen has said, but Goethe knew something else: "In all things we learn only from those we love."

Add to that Emerson's declaration: "the secret of education lies in respecting the pupil", and we have a formula something like this: "Students learn what they care about, from people they care about and who, they know, care about them . . ." Barbara Harrell Carson, 1996, Thirty Years of Stories

Life is a constant learning process, which makes each of us a student.

Lessons can be big, bold and neon-lit, or they can be small, shadowed and barely noticeable until sometime down the path. Transitions are big, bold, neon-lit crash courses in life lessons, and being open to those lessons can make the learning so much easier.

Springboard looks for ways to clear the path, and caring people to teach and guide the student to the most positive outcome.

Sometimes the lessons are easily absorbed, sometimes … not so much. But our valued customers (the students) approach us for lessons, and our added value is to provide the compassion and expertise of professionals. Come learn with us!

Lemons

From Margaret Rush, The Springboard Group, Inc.

You know that old saw? When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!
Divorce certainly counts as lemons – large bags of them. It is a major life transition. A highly charged, emotional transition. Going from a we/us relationship to a me/I solo journey. It can be a souring experience. And in the midst of that emotional cloud, we are expected to make some of the most challenging, consequential decisions of our lives. Decisions about finances, now and into the future; decisions about how to care for our children, if we have any; decisions about working, or not…
Because I didn’t have Springboard™ at my disposal at the time of my divorce, my strategy was simply “patience”. Every time my husband submitted a proposal that was unacceptable, my lawyer and I just replaced the offending language with what I could tolerate and sent it back; literally, we cut and pasted the same paragraphs from our original draft into the most recent version submitted by my husband and his attorney. Because I was on a squeaky-tight budget and had spent 20 years in the paralegal field, my lawyer was lenient with me, allowing me to do most of my own drafting and simply reviewing the changes for enforceability. After two years of having exactly the same agreement put back in front of him, two years of paying his own lawyer to review exactly the same document, my husband finally realized that he was going to have to give a little. The Springboard Group would have helped me move the process along rather more expediently.
Visit us and let’s get started on your transition! Our dedicated team at Springboard has the tools, resources and expertise to help you make the best lemonade possible out of that bag of lemons!

Jun 27, 2009

Corolla

Jun 21, 2009

Father's Day Reflections

Each "Hallmark" Holiday creates opportunities to celebrate those we cherish as well as those we miss. These days can also bring to the surface emotions and the opportunity to heal. For me, Father's Day in particular is difficult. I was a child of divorce by age 2, and my father was absent for over 20 years. Even after re-connecting as an adult, I find I have to purposefully remember him for holidays. And, the standard messages of store-bought cards rarely "fit", as they often reflect on memories we do not share, or meaning that does not exist in our relationship no matter the passage of time. So each time I shop for a card for him, I grieve a little for that lost opportunity.

My Grandfather was my father-figure, and then I gained a step-father. Both of these unique men shaped the adult woman I have become. Each contributed uniquely to my self-esteem, confidence, and philosophy of service. My Grandfather died when I was 27, and my Stepfather two years ago. His absence is still palpable, especially on days like this.

Then, as I scan the rack, I see Grandfather cards I no longer buy. I remember buying husband cards and "to Dad from Daughter" cards for my husband. Even though this is the 6th year since his death, I find myself scanning those sections of the display wistfully.

As relationships and people come and go in our lives, the process of shopping for a card to acknowledge those that mean so much to me has become a point of forced acknowledgement of those changes. I miss the simple pleasure of picking out a card for someone I loved; and instead, take a moment to remember.

When I opened the paper this morning, the headline was "Dear Dad". My Mom, my daughter and I will go to church today, and the sermon will most likely address fathers. And all three of us will feel slightly out of place, and out of sync, missing ours. And remembering.