Joyful Sorrow – a Column by Kristin Neva

July 2, 2020June 29, 2020

Learning How to Help from 5 Phone Calls

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

Nine months after my husband, Todd, was diagnosed with ALS, he entered a social media contest with a $100,000 grand prize to use to fulfill a dream. Contestants with ... Read more

June 25, 2020June 22, 2020

An Old Dog Teaches Me New Tricks

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

I found a walking buddy, and he’s teaching me how to live with my husband’s ALS. When my gym closed, I turned to cross-country skiing every day. When the ... Read more

June 18, 2020June 16, 2020

Hanging Up the Keys and Other Tough Decisions

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

I thought my husband, Todd, should quit driving long before he was ready to hang up the keys. When ALS had weakened his left arm and right hand, he ... Read more

June 11, 2020June 8, 2020

Caregivers Are Only Human

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

Ten years ago today, my husband, Todd, was diagnosed with ALS. I’m grateful that our kids have had their dad much longer than we thought they would. When Todd ... Read more

June 4, 2020June 2, 2020

Applying the Science of Happiness to Caregiving

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

I cried buckets in the months after my husband, Todd, was diagnosed with ALS. When I met with a counselor, I described my overwhelming sadness. “It is sad,” he ... Read more

May 28, 2020May 26, 2020

‘Graves Are for the Living’

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

On Memorial Day, my mom, the kids, and I visited Lakeside Cemetery in Hancock, Michigan. My mom and the kids left in time to attend the Memorial Day service. ... Read more

May 21, 2020May 19, 2020

Let’s Just Call It Love

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

A few years before my husband, Todd, was diagnosed with ALS, he baked a cake for a church fundraiser with one hand while our infant daughter slept on her ... Read more

May 14, 2020May 12, 2020

An Unexpected Delivery Full of Love

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

As I waited for the postmaster to bring my package to the counter, I tried to think of what I had ordered. Nothing came to mind. He set the ... Read more

May 7, 2020May 4, 2020

Stories Connect Us in ALS Awareness Month

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

For a couple years after my husband Todd’s ALS diagnosis, I sought companionship in books written by people with ALS or their spouses. I read half a dozen stories, ... Read more

April 30, 2020April 28, 2020

Loving What’s Left

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

With my gym closed, I’ve been getting my daily exercise by cross-country skiing. A calm happiness washes over me at about the 2-kilometer mark, after my heart rate is ... Read more