The first year of grieving had me running on empty … Unfortunately, as a high-performing and energetic woman, I didn’t even realize it at the time. Looking back, however, especially at pictures of myself, I can see the toll grief took on my body. The year, 2013 … roughly 10 months after my mom died. […]
Have you ever been ghosted by a friend throughout your grief journey? In case you’re unfamiliar with the term “ghosted,” check out this 2019 The New York Times article about why people ghost: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/22/smarter-living/why-people-ghost-and-how-to-get-over-it.html. Essentially, ghosting occurs when a person severs communication with another person without explanation. The LAST thing I thought would ever happen […]
‘Why the heck am I feeling this way?’ This was the recurring question I asked myself in the months following my mom’s death. I found myself riddled with seemingly random aches and pains, including lingering headaches that lasted for nearly a year. This, coupled with crippling fatigue, left me feeling physically battered and emotionally overwhelmed. […]
What happens when grief is delayed? Anyone who knows me well knows that I love to travel. It’s definitely the sixth love language, in my opinion! Sorry, Mr. Chapman! And one of the inevitabilities of traveling is flight delays. (Insert ‘frowning’ emoji, LOL). If only a brief delay, we find ourselves remaining calm, scurrying to […]
Does anyone else know a thing or two about walking through the fog? It’s day five of 2022, and all I can say is, ‘Phew … thank you, Lord, for carrying me through the past two years!’ Am I the only one? 2020 started off with anticipation. My dad had just undergone a surgical procedure […]
As grief attempts to surround us on all sides, what would it look like to tap into the magic of curiosity? At first glance, you may be thinking there’s not much room to consider cultivating much beyond the grief process itself. Trust me, I get it. It’s hard enough to simply wake up and complete […]
With the year drawing to a close, you’ve probably been asked in one form or another, ‘What are you planning?’ Typically, this question is posed to help us consider plans for the remainder of the year, as well as the upcoming year. It’s an annual ritual that leaves many of us, myself included, creating end-of-year […]
‘Christmas, Christmas time is near … time for joy and time for cheer …’ always rings in my ear this time of year. Growing up, I loved Alvin and the Chipmunks, and this was one of my favorite songs. To be honest, it still tickles me to hear Dave scream, “Alvin!!!!” throughout the song. If you’ve […]
What do you do when grief holds hands with joy? It’s a question I’ve wrestled with this week, related to Thanksgiving festivities. Let me explain. My brothers, boyfriend, and I decided to spend the holiday with my maternal aunts and friends, each of whom we deeply adore. The problem, however, is that the location of […]
(FYI, this post is also featured as a guest blog on Laurel Box’s website: https://www.laurelbox.com/blogs/news/navigating-grief-loss-holiday-cheer) Are you navigating grief, loss, and holiday cheer this season? With the falling of the leaves and crisper air in most parts comes an awareness of the upcoming holiday season. In the midst of transitioning décor for fall, I’ve already […]
