Calabasas is Mourning

As summer heat climbed into the triple digits, school started this week.  Both my daughters are now in high school, and they were really looking forward to seeing their friends and starting a fresh new year.

On the second day of school, all the families were informed of an unspeakable tragedy... a beautiful, talented and loved 16 year old girl took her own life.  The entire community of Calabasas is in mourning for the family as well as the future that was not meant to be for her.

As a parent of a 16 year old girl, I am devastated and saddened to my core, but I can not even imagine the anguish of waking up each morning and realizing that it was not a bad dream.  I send you love, light and hope.

As an Art Therapist, MFT and grief counselor, I would like to offer my services in any way that I can.  I will meet with friends, siblings, classmates or adults.  Or I could facilitate a group at the high school, Swim and Tennis Center or my office here in Calabasas.  Please feel free to contact me directly at 818-836-1239.  I am here for support.

SoulCollage: Four months after surgery

Way back on May 6, 2011, my daughter Cydney had a surgery to remove a cyst from her ovary (the Dr had to take the ovary also).  It very was scary, and I felt angry and helpless.

Now, almost four months later, she is healthy and it is almost as if it never happened. I created this SoulCollage right after the surgery while I was still scared confused and angry, but also grateful.

There are images in this collage that look like an egg, as I was thinking about my daughter's ovaries and her ability (in the future) to get pregnant - or not.  To be a mother is something that is very important to her - something I did not know about my own daughter until this situation came up.

The hands holding cans look like that old telephone game.  I guess I was thinking about communication.  At first it was hard for my hubby and I to talk about our daughter without blaming each other, but I realized that we had to be on the same team and stop the blaming.  But there is a knot in the line - that interferes with direct communication.

Officiating a Wedding

On July 29, 2011 my brother married the girl of his dreams, and I had the honor of officiating the ceremony.  When they first asked if I would be interested in performing the marriage, I was sure they were kidding.     After it became clear that Dave and Nathalie genuinely wanted me to preside over the wedding vows, I went down to the County Commisioners' Office in Norwalk, CA to take an oath and become deputized for one day to perform a marriage ceremony. (I did not even know that was a "thing")

On a breath-taking cliff, overlooking Malibu's Point Dume Beach, and surrounded by family and friends, I conducted the marriage ceremony.   I did not realize how emotional it was going to be.  We all cried and then we ate an awesome dinner at Geoffery's Restaurant in Malibu overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

If the whole Art Therapy thing doesn't work out, I can use this as a fall-back career.