Author Archives: bizhasablog

“Remember, he’s a friendly ghost” One last reminder from my brother before the guest bedroom door of his circa 1825 home closes. The home that my brother claims is haunted, by a ghost he and his wife affectionately refer to as George.  According to my brother, George can be frequently heard climbing the 10 stairsContinue reading “George the Ghost”

“So, he told you to meditate?” His question caught me off-guard as I enthusiastically gushed over the dramatic impact of the program I recently joined. I felt my whole body deflate. No! Not meditate! Stillness! My coach told me to practice stillness! Flashing his wry grin, my friend tilted his head and compassionately said, “SometimesContinue reading “Put Me In, Coach!”

”I signed up for a ‘Woo-Woo’ retreat!” After reading my text message, my friend responded immediately, “Tell me more!” It had been a long time since I’ve attended a guided retreat – the title and the description piqued my interest, and I took a leap of faith – joining a group of strangers in aContinue reading “Letting Go”

Christmas came early this year. Only I didn’t recognize it. Summertime 2021 broke me open in a way I’ve never experienced before. I had a wish list with one item on it. Only it wasn’t a wish. It was a need. I clearly articulated my need; at the same time I communicated how I wouldContinue reading “Fahoo Fores, Dahoo Dores”

Ever so gently she inquires, “Who did you have to rescue as a child?” ——————– We ignore mom, angrily discouraging our efforts. “Put that bird back where you found it – its mother will take care of it!” My siblings and I were driven to rescue baby birds fallen from their nests, not yet capableContinue reading “Damsel in Distress”

Death arrives, forcing me to blaze new trails in unfamiliar terrain with limited resources. Shelter … Space in which to retreat when despair and exhaustion prevent me from once again putting one foot in front of the other. Space in which to try over and over to comprehend the incomprehensible. Space in which to temporarilyContinue reading “Trail Flooding”

I walk towards the kitchen to find my brother doubled over, trying desperately not to laugh out loud. Another brother to my left, weak in the knees, also attempting to maintain composure. I hadn’t meant to be funny or snarky. From the living room, Mom had informed me she needed a Coke, and the verdictContinue reading “Trial by Jury”

“Come on back, Elizabeth!” Her voice wafts across the playground, tinged with … anger? … disappointment? … frustration? … resignation? It doesn’t matter. Relief and shame surge through my little body as I trot back, eyes focused firmly on my feet as I shuffle past her and my angry teammates. Five years old and alreadyContinue reading “It’s a Jungle In Here!”

My parents named me Elizabeth, a moniker of Hebrew origins that invokes lofty hope – it can mean either God Is My Abundance or God Is My Oath. Alas, Elizabeth was two syllables too many for the brother that preceded me by two years. The best he could manage was Bizbeth, which was shortened furtherContinue reading “What’s in a Name?”