A Family’s Journey of Life and Death Tests, Strengthens Faith
Published December 2004 in The Messenger,
The Newspaper of the Belleville Catholic Diocese
Every night, Jamie Detmer clutches a teddy bear as she sleeps. A recorder inside the bear allows her to hear the heartbeat of her baby who died suddenly this summer.
The crib is packed away in the basement and the baby clothes are no longer hanging in the closet – yet the teddy bear remains. Continue reading
Weathering the Storm with Rainbows
Published Fall 2003 in The Steward’s Review, quarterly magazine for the Diocese of Belleville, Ill.
Sitting at a small table in a school cafeteria, approximately 10 students gather to talk. One student expresses anger, another expresses disbelief, while a third says she is finally at peace. Though their feelings drift from one extreme to the next, all of these students have one thing in common – they have experienced a significant loss through divorce or death.
Recognizing the need for a program in the Belleville Diocese to help children heal from loss, Rainbows was formed at Holy Trinity with the support of an Annual Bishop’s Appeal Fund for Ministry grant. The program provides children with a confidential forum to express feelings, raise doubts and ask questions about the loss they have experienced and changes in their family environment, such as routine, responsibility and living arrangements. Continue reading
About Me
Three words to describe me? Passionate. Motivated. Curious. These traits help me as a college media adviser and professor, freelance writer, author and mom. From student journalism and higher education to parenting and freelance writing, this site, focused on writing, reflecting and teaching, offers a mix of blogs with a hint of humor, sarcasm, and inspiration, as well as my published stories on just about every possible topic.
Feel free to browse my sample works including feature news, magazine, and web copywriting pieces from the past and present. You can also pick up my new book “Screen-Free Fun: 400 Activities for the Whole Family” now available. Check back often for daily updates, blog entries, and additional stories. Feel free to contact me directly at shphilpott@gmail.com, follow me on Twitter, or grab tips for Screen-Free Fun on our Facebook page. Comments are welcome!
Shannon Philpott-Sanders 