A Note from Judy
Please join me in celebrating the birth of my beautiful granddaughter, Brynn Abigail born before the blizzard of 2026. Big brother Jake adores his little sister, and cousins Benji and Madelyn can’t wait to meet their newest cousin. I am the luckiest Nini to experience the love, joy, and fun of being a grandmother, which I acknowledge daily.
We’ve experienced a frigid and snowy winter in Massachusetts, typical of New England, not experienced since 2022. Many of us have stories from the blizzard of ’78. I was in college at Skidmore and missed the storm. There will be tales from the blizzard of 2026. Again, I missed the excitement as I was taking care of Jake and thankfully, we did not lose power. And on the day after the storm, a no-school day, Jake loved playing in the snow.
I missed walking outside, the fresh air but braved it when possible. Bundled up in a long ankle- length down coat, mittens over gloves, scarf, headband covered by a hood, boots, barely visible, I breathed in the cold air lasting as long as possible. One beautiful snowy morning, the sole walker, I soaked in the beautiful New England landscape, clumped along the streets and relished every moment.
For the past two years, I have been honored to serve on the Board of Directors of the COPE (connecting our paths eternally) Foundation whose mission is that no one should grieve alone. Primarily based in Long Island, the sole out-of-state board member, I am looking forward to meeting the talented, devoted board members in person this month for a full day meeting to work together ensuring COPE continues to provide grief services, support groups, and programs for those in need. www.copefoundation.org
Thank you to Grief Stories by Katy Parker for publishing of my recent article, Evolving Grief.
https://lnkd.in/eTgRUbFx
Here is an excerpt:
There is no recipe for grief.
Many of us love home-baked chocolate chip cookies and follow the recipe on the back of the Nestlé Toll House package. Grief is not simple; one recipe does not fit all.
Please join me along with other inspiring speakers for the third virtual Surviving Sibling Summit 2026, hosted by Maya Roffler. The theme this year is: We’re not moving on. We’re just moving differently. The summit will take place on Friday April 24, 2026 -Saturday, April 25, 2026.
The title of my presentation will be, Sisterhood After Sibling Loss: Carrying Loss, Grief, and Connection.
Skating remains my passion. Introducing the Pilates reformer, and a wonderful Coach Renee, who pushes me to go beyond what I’ve ever dreamed, I can now execute additional elements going backwards that traditionally have been my nemesis. I love being with skaters of all ages, laughing with them, talking, and sharing our skating stories.
Book Corner
1987. The only person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus is her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can be herself only in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down.
“[A] beautiful novel of love and loss . . . accessible, sensitively told, and heartbreaking.”—School Library Journal (starred review)
“In this lovely debut novel set in the 1980s, Carol Rifka Brunt takes us under the skin and inside the tumultuous heart of June Elbus.
They say writing is rewriting. So why does the second part get such short shrift? Refuse To Be Done will guide you through every step of the novel writing process, from getting started on those first pages to the last tips for making your final draft even tighter and stronger.
I found this book extremely helpful as I work on my second book. The revision process is slow, empowering, and enlightening. Some of the greatest takeaways from Refuse To Be Done for me included: writing outline a messy one and then a more detailed one, retype the second draft from scratch (the best advice!), and transitions from endings of chapters segway into following chapter.
Memory
On a cold Sunday afternoon, our family would drive into Boston, feed the birds in Boston Common and have lunch in the North End at Stella’s, our favorite Italian restaurant. Bundled up in winter coats and gloves, how did our legs not freeze wearing Mary Janes shoes and lace ankle socks? Margie and I protecting Jane, our adorable little sister.
Skating
I enjoyed the breadth, depth, athleticism, artistry, and beauty of figure skaters at the 2026 Olympics. We should applaud all the skaters for their legacy, hard work, and devotion to the sport. We witnessed the intensity of emotions: elation, disappointment, controversy, and comradery. Congratulations to Team USA-Gold, Madison/Chock-Silver, Alyssa Liu – Gold.
I leave you with:
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says – I’ll try again tomorrow.” Mary Anne Radmacher
I wrote Celebration of Sisters: It Is Never Too Late To Grieve to help other surviving siblings. If you know someone who would benefit, please pass along or share your thoughts by writing a review on Amazon: https://a.co/d/dVKPHpv
With deepest gratitude.