Articles written by Gigi Marsten

What is Helium

About me - Gigi Marsten

I am a semi-retired 66 year old grandmother of 3 young granddaughters. I have 3 grown daughters; my best accomplishment to date.

I survived a long, unhealthy marriage, and now have been divorced for the past 14 years. I spent about 30 years in the Pacific Northwest,

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Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Remembering: 7 of 267
Memorial DayThe day to rememberthe ones that are goneThe ones that we love and we miss.For one magic moment,if time we could erase,We would bring each one backto fill the empty space.For a while we would be happy,The moments would be sweetbut, alas, they would be gone againas the day became complete.I do not know why the happ... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: Mother of the bride: 1 of 16
I have been the Mother of the Bride twice now. Each daughter's circumstances were different at the time of their weddings, but each of them proved to be, not only beautiful on The Perfect Day, but the Whole Package. This Mother of the Bride was so proud that each of her daughters had their own lives and knew who they were whe... More..
Relationships & Family > Family Bonding Family bonding: The best road trips are the unplanned ones: 2 of 15
About five years ago, my youngest daughter, Amy, and I attended the wedding of one my co-workers. It was held at a beautiful rural area of southwest Washington, about 30 minutes from where we lived. The wedding was lovely and after the reception, my daughter and I set off to go home. I knew how I got there, so I was going to ... More..
Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Feelings: 115 of 818
My mind gets the pictureLoud and clear,From my eyes the tears do flowBut my heart forgets you no longer careand it loves you even more.My heart forgets you let me downand left me all aloneTo cry in pain and wonder againhow to begin anew.When I awaken in the morningI think I am with you.My heart forgets you've gone awaya new l... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: Death of a loved one: 18 of 115
How did I get so lucky, to have an older sister who was so much more. She was like a second mother to me, her baby sister. One week after her 83rd birthday, my sister, Frances, passed away, died, left us, went home to Heaven. There is a Heaven and my sister is there. If my sister is not there, then there is no heaven, it's as... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Pain: 14 of 53
I've been through all kinds of pain in life. I've been through childbirth 3 times, I've had surgery,I've had 4 wisdom teeth extracted, the list goes on. For the longest time, I had no idea what other people were referring to when they said they were in a lot of pain. What pain? Did they break an arm? a leg? What?Before long, ... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Life: 89 of 275
When I was young, I wanted to grow up to be a Bag Lady. But what did I do? I graduated from high school and I thought: That's enough of that. I went to work as a secretary at a small insurance company in a big city. I then decided to get married and have my own family.My goodness, the years just flew by and before I knew what... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Grandparenting Is it asking too much to expect a thank you from a 8-10 year old grandchild?: 8 of 23
No, it is not too much to expect a thank you from an 8-10 year old grandchild. In fact, I would think that anywhere from 6 years old is not too much to expect.It is definitely the parents that instill good manners in a young child. The parents don't instill good manners by reciting how they expect the child to respond; it is ... More..
Relationships & Family > Grief & Loss End-of-life communication: On saying goodbye: 19 of 45
When my mom died, well-over 40 years ago, I didn't really have a chance to say goodbye; it happened so fast! She suffered a cerebral hemorrhage around noon and by 8:30 p.m. she had passed away.I am the youngest in my family - and I'm now 65 years old - so my sister who is now 82 is like a "mom" to me. She is dying of cancer a... More..
Relationships & Family > Dealing with Problem People Narcissism: How to deal with someone who has the 'it's all about me' complex: 24 of 46
I think my ex-husband may have been a Narcissist if the definition is "it's all about ME", because it was! One mark of narcissism is total insensitivity. I can remember, so many years ago, when we were barely newlyweds my husband was still in the Navy. So, when my mom passed away quite unexpectedly, I sent my husband a telegr... More..