Riding The Waves

Category: survival

The Climb. Finding Peace As I Walk Through Grief. Day 23 of 365

It turned out to be an exquisite day in so many ways — bright, sunny, warm and breezy — though it certainly didn’t begin that way. On that Saturday in May, a number of us were headed to Northern Wisconsin to witness the wedding of a dear friend, someone I’ve known, and with whom I have laughed, for... Read more »

By Christine Wolf,
May 21, 2018 at 1:18 pm •

Turkey Bacon: A Taste Of What It's Like When You Can't Do It All. Day 18 of 365

Ever have those times you wonder how it will all get done? I’m feeling that way right now. Big time. This feeling usually hits particularly hard in May, when it seems there’s SO much to do — and not enough time to do it. When my kids were little, the spring and early summer activities seemed to converge on the family calendar all... Read more »

By Christine Wolf,
May 2, 2018 at 3:46 pm •

Hiding From A Gunman? What It Felt Like During An Active Shooter Emergency.

At 2:39 pm on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 14th, 2018, the students, faculty and staff of Northwestern University, near Chicago, received electronic alerts of a gunman on its campus. I was there when it all happened. Hours earlier, Northwestern students (and 90% [approximately 3,300] of students from nearby Evanston Township High School) participated in the first National... Read more »

By Christine Wolf,
March 15, 2018 at 3:16 pm •

The 1993 Comstock, Michigan Amtrak crash. Reaching out, twenty-five years later, hoping to close old wounds.

I’m mailing the letters tomorrow, and I hope it’s the right thing to do. Twenty-five years ago, on March 10, 1993, I was involved in an Amtrak crash in Comstock, Michigan. One man, Nicholas Bakhuyzen, was killed. Another man, the train’s engineer, James Chiles, received 2nd degree burns on his face, head and arms. Despite Amtrak’s initial... Read more »

By Christine Wolf,
January 28, 2018 at 7:05 pm •

We're All Riding The Waves Of Life

Sometimes it feels like you’ve really got this, that everything’s going to work out. Other times you wonder why you’d ever allowed yourself to think that way. Sometimes you face situations alone, scared half to death, only to “survive” and learn later that others felt exactly the same. Other times you breeze through storms, wondering — after the fact — how it was... Read more »

By Christine Wolf,
January 8, 2018 at 1:42 pm •

NYE got you down? Hope this helps you feel less alone.

If you’ve ever experienced anything close to breathless sadness or profound loneliness, I understand. If you’ve wondered what tomorrow holds — and how you’ll get through to another morning — I’ve been there. And if you know the indescribable feeling in the pit of your stomach that accompanies a cocktail of uncertainty, confusion and bewilderment,... Read more »

By Christine Wolf,
December 31, 2017 at 7:55 pm •

Moving On After A Classy Cyber Bully Rips My "MeToo" Post

This week I was cyber bullied on Facebook. It happened in the comments section under my latest post, inspired by the #metoo social media movement — an effort started in 1996 by Tarana Burke to foster understanding and compassion for victims of sexual assault. As Burke recently told CNN, “When you experience trauma and meet other people that have a... Read more »

By Christine Wolf,
October 20, 2017 at 12:20 pm •

Illinois finally has a budget, Gov Rauner. Time to pick up your pen, sign this PANDAS / PANS bill into law, and help kids with brain inflammation get the medical care they deserve.

[From the press release I just wrote, urging Republican Governor Bruce Rauner to sign House Bill 2721 into law] ILLINOIS TO BECOME 1st STATE REQUIRING INSURERS COVER TREATMENT FOR CHILDHOOD POST-INFECTIOUS DISORDERS PANDAS/PANS CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JULY 7, 2017 Families with sick children are eagerly awaiting Governor Bruce Rauner to sign House Bill 2721 into... Read more »

By Christine Wolf,
July 7, 2017 at 12:57 pm •

Feeling Overwhelmed? Let A Few Spinning Plates Drop.

As I sit here contemplating all that I might possibly write, my body tenses as the horrible cycle of self doubt and overthinking begins: “What should this post even be about?” “Make it interesting…yet real…and authentic…but don’t overwrite…” “How in depth should I go? And isn’t it spelled indepth?” “Am I in a light mood?... Read more »

By Christine Wolf,
May 26, 2017 at 11:32 am •

Childhood anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts & obsessive behaviors. Mental illness or untreated infection? PANDAS and PANS, explained.

(This letter first appeared in article form on my LinkedIn page on 3/17/17. I composed and posted the piece only after consulting with — and receiving direct input and approval from — parents, physicians, legislators, medical advocates and international researchers from the National Institutes of Mental Health). An Open Letter To Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner... Read more »

By Christine Wolf,
April 1, 2017 at 7:56 pm •

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