ron stempkowski

What Grief Taught Me About Storytelling

Posted on November 13, 2025November 13, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski

There’s a strange thing that happens after you lose someone you love — the story you thought you were living ends mid-sentence. One minute, you’re a “we.” The next, you’re a plot twist you... Read More

The Rituals That Remain

Posted on November 10, 2025November 11, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski

I’ve always loved a good ritual. There’s something comforting about repetition — the way lighting a candle, brewing the same cup of coffee, or playing a familiar song can create a little order i... Read More

The Essay as Mirror: Why I Keep Coming Back to Personal Narrative

Posted on November 2, 2025November 2, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski

Writing personal essays isn’t about oversharing — it’s about understanding. Every time I sit down to write, I end up meeting a new version of myself in the reflection. Sometimes he’s brave, so... Read More

When the Story Starts Writing You Back

Posted on October 31, 2025October 31, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski

Something has been stirring lately. It started earlier this year when I organized the fundraiser in honor of Ken’s 60th birthday. What began as a simple idea—to celebrate the life he lived and the... Read More

The Luck We Carry

Posted on October 21, 2025January 18, 2026 by Ron Stempkowski

Every so often, you meet someone who changes the temperature of your day — not through grand gestures or deep conversations, but through a single, simple truth. That happened to me recently at the l... Read More

A Redemptive Friendship

Posted on October 4, 2025October 28, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski

I woke up to the news that my friend Craig has died. It was less than a month ago when his sister Teresa, also a dear friend, texted me to tell me that, after some investigation, they were blindsided ... Read More

The Premiere, the Fundraiser, and the Love That Filled the (Virtual) Room

Posted on September 23, 2025September 23, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski

When I first had the idea to bring Ken’s one-man show, My Foot Left, back to life as a digital premiere and fundraiser, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting myself into. Honestly, it fel... Read More

The Power of “Yes!”

Posted on July 30, 2025January 18, 2026 by Ron Stempkowski

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the power of saying yes since putting this fundraiser together. It’s such a simple word—three letters, one syllable—but it can crack open whole new w... Read More

Best Foot Forward: Celebrating Ken’s 60th

Posted on July 26, 2025July 26, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski

I’ve written about my late husband, Ken, many times here. In fact, writing about him and our experience together with his cancer was a coping mechanism that served me well since his re-diagnosis in ... Read More

For the Love of Her

Posted on April 15, 2025January 18, 2026 by Ron Stempkowski

I flew to Los Angeles over the weekend to attend my sister-in-law Katie’s memorial. Even seeing it writing or saying it out loud still doesn’t quite compute for me. This was a trip I looke... Read More

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