Community Conversations

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, we remember and honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom(s).

As a community initiative devoted to grief support, we also hold space for the loved ones who carry the weight of those losses each day.🙏🏽

05/17/2026

One of the greatest honors of being a chaplain and funeral celebrant is getting the opportunity to preside over people’s services and help families tell the story of someone they love and miss.

As and we become keepers of people’s stories and in some small way, living extensions of their legacy.

I often find myself feeling like I missed out, especially when I never had the chance to meet the person whose service I’m presiding over in real life. Would’ve loved to have witnessed some of their antics, their humor, their quirks and their personalities in real time…

Yesterday I presided over a service for a woman who was 93 years old. She loved music by and . During the service, we played a couple of their songs, including “El Paso” – a tragic about love, jealousy, regret, and longing. A cowboy falls in love with a woman named Feleena at Rosa’s Cantina in El Paso, kills another cowboy in a jealous gunfight, flees into New Mexico, and eventually returns because his love for her is stronger than his fear of death… only to die in her arms after one final kiss. OMG how tragic AND..... dramatic!

Reminded me of a Mexican ranchera.

Every person who passes away leaves something behind…a story, a song, a perspective, memories…

Thinking of you Beautiful Miss B and this whole musical genre I’m now discovering (I promise not to get UGLY on you)!

Marty Robbins performed "El Paso" live on The Drifter in 1965.

05/17/2026

! Shout out to the folks at The Resolution Center!

Yesterday, a group of us completed 's 36-hour Basic Mediation Training. We came from different walks of life but we all showed up wanting to learn how to better handle difficult conversations and help people move through conflict in healthier, more productive ways.

As a chaplain and even in my personal life - I’ve witnessed countless times how tension, grief, trauma, and even simple miscommunication can escalate from the smallest situations. We can all use better conflict-resolution skills no matter what sector we're in. I would recommend checking out the and keeping an eye out for their upcoming training schedule.

Not gonna lie though - the training is intense! For me, that meant balancing the training along with working full time, taking 3 graduate level seminary classes (during finals!!!) and keeping up with household responsibilities. It was most certainly a stretch, but I'm a glutton for punishment and it was definitely worth it! A lot of work, but a lot of too and definitely all love! ❤️ Angie

05/15/2026

05/11/2026

Thinking of all the moms today. The ones who are mothers, the ones who have been “like moms”, the ones who are missing their moms and the ones being remembered with love. Repost from

05/11/2026

Recently, while presiding over a service for an absolutely beautiful woman , I came across a quote written by her mother - Bunny. Bunny wrote these words after she lost her own mother many years ago.

As we move through Mother’s Day weekend, remember that it’s okay to hold space for many emotions at once. You might shed a tear or two...but also remember to laugh, to celebrate, to reminisce and above all, to be deeply grateful.

Thinking of you all on Mother’s Day. ❤️

05/03/2026

Who has left a lasting imprint in your life, your mind or your heart? It could be a friend, a mentor, someone you admired from afar, or even someone who came into your life for just a moment. It doesn’t have to be incredibly profound either 😊 we’d just love to know! ❤️

04/30/2026

Some days feel heavy. In fact, some ENTIRE seasons feel like nothing but dirt piled up on top of you (trust me, I've been there!!!) BUT even in the dirt, TRUST the process...nothing that you go through is wasted! You've been planted...not buried! 🙏🏽🌻

Art by Blue Bottle Art. Thank you Never Walk Alone Inc for putting me on! ❤️

04/19/2026

Over the past several weeks, a group of us gathered at the First Congregational Church of Rowley to watch Season 1 of The Chosen.

We slowed down, read Scripture, prayed together and created space for one another. We saw God moving in our hearts and in our midst. Going to miss our little crew- as well as the popcorn and our desserts - LOL!

Wishing everyone a beautiful Spring and a restful, joy-filled Summer. Maybe we’ll gather again in the Fall for Season 2… We'll see.

04/19/2026

Somewhere in New Hampshire...
__________________________________

Somewhere in New Hampshire - I met you by proxy.

THEY may have missed you, walked right past
your sharp edges, heard your rough, tough, looking for a fight, ready to scrap, "try me" tone and walked on by. Avoided you in fact. "Ain't nobody want no problems."

But I saw you.

I slowed down. You piqued my interest. "Who IS this lady?"

What was that smoke in your voice? That gravel, that grit - rasped by years of inhaling menthol lights and screaming out of half-opened windows.

That rough, tough, leathery skin told a thousand stories without you saying a word. Like a map etched in time, tracing all the places life had taken you. You weathered many storms.

My beautiful Italian Queen. Originally from Boston. Fierce and unpolished, with a heart that had experienced great love and great loss.

In the streets where I grew up, they say that "real recognizes real" and somewhere between your world and mine, decades apart, I saw something familiar in you.

"Hi Darling" is how you would eventually go on to greet me. You eased up a bit but you always kept it 100%.

Grazie, Bella Donna for entrusting me with some of your most delicate pieces.

Rest easy, my beautiful Italian Queen. You were seen. You were loved. You mattered. I saw you...

04/18/2026

It was really special to reconnect this week with someone I’ve known since childhood - Leslie Martinez, at a strategic planning initiative hosted by . The gathering brought together a wide range of people from across the Greater Lawrence/Merrimack Valley area who care deeply about coming together in support of their commitment and mission.

Leslie and one of the board members from Grieving Youth and Families of the Merrimack Valley aka GYFMV were there, and it was wonderful to see them especially because of our shared commitment to supporting individuals and families who are navigating grief and loss.

GYFMV are located at 90 Broadway Street in Methuen (at St. Andrew’s Church - right on the Methuen/Lawrence line) and their support group meets on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays from 5–7 PM. Everyone is welcome.