Joyful Sorrow – a Column by Kristin Neva

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

April 23, 2020April 20, 2020

My Junk Drawer Sparks Memories of Better Days

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

Since my husband has ALS and is paralyzed, his life is much the same under COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. Todd still spends his days on the computer, except now there are ... Read more

April 16, 2020April 14, 2020

‘How Are You?’ Can Be a Weighty Question

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

When someone asks how I am in passing, I know the script: “I’m fine. How are you?” Sure, the question and response are meant to be pleasantries in our ... Read more

April 9, 2020April 6, 2020

The Little Things Can Mean So Much

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

The other morning, I woke up to find a note on my husband’s wheelchair cushion: “Buttercup, please cook the sausage. Love, Todd.” He was reminding me of the bratwurst ... Read more

April 2, 2020April 3, 2020

We’ve Adapted Before, and We’ll Adapt Again

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

Since my husband was diagnosed with ALS a decade ago, we’ve adapted to this difficult life in ways I never would have expected. After leaving rural Michigan for college ... Read more

March 26, 2020March 24, 2020

7 Ways Life with ALS Is Similar to Life During a Pandemic

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

When someone asked my husband how he is doing in light of COVID-19, Todd replied, “Our life isn’t that much different. Now everyone else is dealing with what we ... Read more