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Surviving with Gumption & Grace: Everyday Magic, Day 875
Days of Caring event in Hays, Kansas — a luncheon and fashion show to raise awareness about breast cancer. Here’s the talk I gave,...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Oct 8, 201621 min read


Bringing Charles Home: Everyday Magic, Day 863
It was one of those Kansas days when any moment of daylight would be heavy with heat and humidity although a 9 a.m. burial was more like...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Jun 19, 20163 min read


Charles Is A Force of Nature: Everyday Magic, Day 862
Charles was one of the first Lawrencians I ever met, in about 1981 when I was a member of the Kansas City Sufi community, where Charles...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Jun 15, 20163 min read


Saved (Again) By Music: Everyday Music, Day 860
Celebrating Claudia’s birthday at the concert with Michel Loomis Listening to the astonishingly spirited Claudia Schmidt perform a house...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Jun 6, 20164 min read


The Growing Pains of Wild and Woolly Too-Muchness: Everyday Magic, Day 859
This Memorial Day weekend, I wrote and revised an obituary and memorial service after meeting with my friend’s family, organized some of...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
May 31, 20161 min read


The Wild Weather of Dying: Everyday Magic, Day 892
For the last 11 days, my family’s life has been wrapped around the last phase of my mother-in-law’s life, first in the hospital, and...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Mar 23, 20162 min read


Four Funerals and a Wedding: Everyday Magic, Day 885
I used to have more of a "Four weddings and a funeral" life, but get old enough, and things start to shift. In the last month, I've...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Jan 24, 20163 min read


Counting Stars, Time, and Remembering Jerry: Everyday Magic, Day 880
All day, I had been thinking about a year ago when our dear friend Jerry died after either a short or long illness, depending on how you...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Dec 14, 20153 min read


Simple Gifts: Everyday Magic, Day 878
‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free, ’tis the gift to come down where we ought to be, and when we find ourselves in the...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Nov 26, 20152 min read


Predictably Crazy in Unpredictable Ways as the Nest Empties: Everyday Magic, Day 864
Daniel showing us the native prairie plant greenhouse on his last day of work there. I knew this was coming, but sometimes knowledge...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Aug 17, 20153 min read


Ken Irby, Rest (Travel, Drink, Read and Write) in Peace: Everyday Magic, Day 861
Last night I got to join some of Ken’s closest friends, some of whom have been devoting themselves to his health and comfort over many...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Jul 30, 20154 min read


For the Love of Animals and Community: Everyday Magic, Day 851
Vigil for lost animals When we found out about the fire at Pet World, so many of us in and around Lawrence rushed to the scene or to the...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
May 28, 20153 min read


Jerry on the Prairie!: Everyday Magic, Day 850
Along with what people say or do, we invite everyone to bring water from their travels to pour into the center, and this time, we had the...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
May 25, 20153 min read


The Things of a Life: Everyday Magic, Day 831
One of the photos his daughters found The shortest day of the year included taking apart, packing, hauling away and other redistributing...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Dec 21, 20143 min read


Jerry: Everyday Magic, Day 829
Jerry with me shortly after I finished chemo in 2002 When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, I discovered what many already know...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Dec 14, 20144 min read

Carry On, My Wayward Son (and Daughter): Everyday Magic, Day 828
Kansas was singing “Carry On, My Wayward Son” with all their heart on my car radio as I stood outside the car, having accidentally locked...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Dec 12, 20142 min read


The Tender Side of Loss: Everyday Magic, Day 824
Ken in the deep woods In the past two weeks, the Royals lost the World Series, my favored candidate for governor (when the stakes were...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Nov 7, 20142 min read

A Moment of Stillness in Grief: Everyday Magic, Day 822
It has been a week for the record books in my life. Monday, my aunt, who I loved but barely saw in the last four decades, died after a...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Oct 25, 20142 min read


Loving Rachel Rolfs: Everyday Magic, Day 821
Rachel, her brother Micah and mom LaVetta in 1983 This was a girl who grew up in the background, preferring to help others shine and...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Oct 22, 20142 min read


Death Tour 2014: Everyday Magic, Day 797
Portrait of the artist recovering with her cat Within one week, I attended my uncle’s moving funeral in New Jersey, our dear community...
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Apr 12, 20142 min read