“The world tries to silence our expression of feelings of hopelessness and despair. This “shushing” breeds shame and an overall feeling that seeking comfort is selfish. As a […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#38 My ALS Journey—The Path and the Box
This blog of mothers made me laugh out loud, especially her discussion of sitting in the designated handicapped seating area in the church. Mother did not like Boxes. […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#37 My ALS Journey—A Good Week
Before my mom was diagnosed with ALS, I would describe her to people by saying she “ran circles around my dad.” Which, actually is saying a lot because […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#36 My ALS Journey—Ten to Ten
I’ve been considering what it means to be a strong Christian woman. It’s a loaded question in the world of faith. What does that exactly look like? Susan […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Susan's Steps
Hi! I’m Tricia, my mother’s daughter.
Hi! Welcome to Sweet Speakable Sorrow. My name is Tricia, and I am my mother’s daughter. The day my mom, Susan Catlett, died, I removed her blog, Susan’s […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#35 My ALS Journey—Faith Believing
Somedays, my faith waivers, and I don’t always (almost never, actually) understand exactly what that purpose is…other than hanging on for the ride. Susan Catlett Sometimes, accepting the […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#34 My ALS Journey—A Fun Night
I think my mom’s joy of buying new shoes for every journey is one of my great joys today. Recently, I completed my Ph.D. (this alone would have […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#33 My ALS Journey—Thank You ALS Association
My mom loved the microphone and the stage. She appreciated the opportunity to educate and encourage others en masse. In this blog, she shares her speech at the […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#32 My ALS Journey—The 2,542 Mile Road Trip
“ALS could curl her fingers and weaken her body, but it could not take her joy.” Tricia My mother was encouraged and inspired by the book Until […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#31 My ALS Journey—The Best Parts of Road Tripping
One of my best trips was with my mom to a women’s Bible conference in Anaheim. It was during the time of the Rodney King riots. It was […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#30 My ALS Journey—Rectified Reasonable Expectations
Susan Catlett was bossy. She’d boss with a smile, which sometimes threw people off. Her bossiness worked well for her as a Sheriff’s Officer, school principal, or superintendent […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#29 My ALS Journey—Reasonable Expectations
“It is God to whom and with whom we travel, and while He is the end of our journey, He is also at every stopping place.” Elisabeth Elliott […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#28 My ALS Journey—The Road Trip Adventure
Three things struck me about this post. First, my mother loved an adventure. Second, and this is an important aspect of this blog, SweetSpeakableSorrow, is the ease with […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#27 My ALS Journey—My Neighbor the Nurse, and My Ride Around the Block
My husband and I, my sons, and my parents were all gathered around our large round patio table in my backyard when my mother shared the news of […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Susan's Steps
#26 My ALS Journey—Special Blessings
It’s storming outside my office window as I write this post. Looking afresh at my mother’s words makes me feel two things. One of which is reflecting on […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Susan's Steps
#25 My ALS Journey—The Story of a Real Hero
Whenever I see this picture, it reminds me that someday I will write a book about these two. It would have to begin with an epic first sentence […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#24 My ALS Journey—What to Say At the End of the Day
For in grief nothing “stays put.” One keeps on emerging from a phase, but it always recurs. Round and round. Everything repeats. Am I going in circles, or […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#23 My ALS Journey—Cliff’s Exclusive Car Service
When I was in the sixth grade, I traveled with my parents to Brazil. We journeyed with a small group from our church to visit missionaries we supported […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Susan's Steps
#22 1/2 My ALS Journey—The Day After Yesterday, Part II
What will it be When, like the lily or the rose, That in my flowery garden grows I shall be flawless, perfect, Lord to Thee? Amy Carmichael, Rose […]
ALS / Family / Grief / Jesus / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Outings / Susan's Steps
#22 My ALS Journey—The Day After Yesterday
I started going to the Clinic with my parents as my mother’s disease progressed. It was grueling. It began with the long van ride (with no shocks) and […]