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ron stempkowski

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    • Extraordinary Healers Vol. 7
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ron stempkowski

ron stempkowski

love, loss, healing, and humor…in no particular order

  • home
  • the ink well
  • about ron
    • about ken
  • contact
  • awards
    • Mountain Climbing for Beginners
  • my faves
  • publication
    • Extraordinary Healers Vol. 7
  • newsletter
  • twisted plot paper
The Universal Struggle of Leaving a Cozy Bed (Especially When Hudson’s In It)

The Universal Struggle of Leaving a Cozy Bed (Especially When Hudson’s In It)

Posted on December 2, 2025December 2, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski
Some mornings, getting out of bed feels heroic. And then there are mornings like today—when Hudson is stretched beside me in full golden-retriever splendor, making the idea of standing upright seem ... Read More
When the Landscape Shifts Overnight

When the Landscape Shifts Overnight

Posted on November 29, 2025November 29, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski
It’s snowing today. The kind of steady, quiet snow that doesn’t announce itself with drama. One minute, the world is the same familiar gray; the next, it’s wearing a brand-new coat like it g... Read More
The Quiet Gratitude That Stays

The Quiet Gratitude That Stays

Posted on November 28, 2025November 27, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski
the leftovers are stacked in the fridge that makes space for the good stuff to surface. Not the performative kind of gratitude, but the real, lived-in kind—the moments that catch you off guard and r... Read More
It's Okay if Gratitude Doesn't Feel Natural Right Now

It’s Okay if Gratitude Doesn’t Feel Natural Right Now

Posted on November 26, 2025November 26, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski
Some days, gratitude feels easy. Other days, it feels like trying to read fine print in the dark. And if you’re in one of those darker stretches right now, I want to say something simple: there’s ... Read More
Grief Taught Me to See Differently

Grief Taught Me to See Differently

Posted on November 25, 2025November 25, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski
There was a time when the word gratitude felt impossible. People love to offer it up as a cure-all—look for the silver lining, focus on the good, find the lesson. But when you’re living inside rea... Read More
Let Yourself Be a Beginner

Let Yourself Be a Beginner

Posted on November 24, 2025November 24, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski
Some Mondays hit like a cold open with no context. You wake up, look around, and think, “Wait… what show is this again?” If that’s you today, you’re in good company. I’ve learned (sometime... Read More
When a Colleague Disappears From the Grid

When a Colleague Disappears From the Grid

Posted on November 20, 2025November 20, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski
We’ve all seen it happen. Someone who’s usually plugged in—responsive, steady, present—suddenly goes quiet. No updates. No replies. Just…silence. Years ago, when Ken was sick, that silence w... Read More
When Personal Grief Meets Professional Expectations

When Personal Grief Meets Professional Expectations

Posted on November 19, 2025November 19, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski
There’s this surreal split-screen feeling that happens when you’re grieving, but work keeps moving like it always does. Your life is coming apart at the seams, and yet the calendar notifications k... Read More
The Unseen Grief in Workplace Change

The Unseen Grief in Workplace Change

Posted on November 18, 2025November 18, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski
Workplace change always looks so tidy on paper. A reorg announcement lands in your inbox with color-coded boxes and arrows pointing confidently toward the future. Leadership says things like “alignm... Read More
An Infusion of Empathy

An Infusion of Empathy

Posted on November 17, 2025November 26, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski
Lately, I’ve been carrying around this steady, low-grade urge to give the world a giant dose of empathy. Not in a grand, superhero way. More like a quiet nudge. A refill. A top-off. Something warm p... Read More
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  • The Promise I Made Before He Died–and Why I’m Still Keeping It
    by Ron Stempkowski
    My upcoming book exists because of a promise. Ken was full of kindness, grace, and humor. So much so that...
  • The Year I Finally Say It Out Loud
    by Ron Stempkowski
    When I woke up on New Year’s Day 2026, the first words* out of my mouth were, “This is the...
  • Reflecting on 2025 with my New Year’s Eve Ritual
    by Ron Stempkowski
    It’s my fourth year, sitting with a stack of envelopes packed with selected memories from the past year since starting...
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© Ron Stempkowski, ronstempkowski.com and thexanaxdiary.com, 2010-2026. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Ron Stempkowski and ronstempkowski.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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