Friend, have you ever thought about the gift that resides in the mundane rhythms of life? The regular trips to the grocery store. Folding the laundry. Tending to the yard. Sitting in that chair staring at the same scene day after day. If you’re anything like me, the all-too-familiar aspects of life can seem boring. […]
Let’s face it. Asking the tough questions — whether about ourselves, others, or events in our lives — is hard. 2012 proved to be the year that I began asking them. It was the year my mom died 30 days after being diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. Just 30 days! Questions flooded my mind […]
This seems like such an obvious statement, right? When you’re alone, you may begin to experience feelings of loneliness. It makes perfect sense. Grieving alone can feel … well, lonely. First, let me acknowledge that this isn’t the case for every person who grieves. And of course, experiencing seasons of alone-ness as we grieve is […]
“Routine is rather like the egg whites in a batter: it imparts little flavor, but it holds everything together.” — Josiah Bancroft Experiencing a significant loss opens your eyes to see many things, including just how lopsided your life has become. From learning how to live life apart from a loved one to exploring newfound […]
Years into my grief journey, I finally surrendered and let grief have its way. I think it was pure emotional and physical exhaustion that led me to that place, coupled with spiritual overwhelm. See, I’m a gifted fighter. My original coaches, Darnell and Patricia Harris (aka, Daddy & Mama), announced early on in my life […]
Yes, I said it! STOP relying on your partner … to meet all your needs as you grieve. Before you stop reading, please let me share a quick story. After my dad died last year, my sweet partner, David, put his work to the side in order to fly to Texas and spend two uninterrupted […]
Are you ready to re-imagine … life after loss, that is? OK, first let me explain … Grief is exhausting. And overwhelming. It can also be all-consuming, if we’re not careful. Trust me, I know. Early in the morning on December 9, 2012, my beloved mom died as a result of stage IV pancreatic cancer, […]
Grief cracks wide open many things within and around you. Prior to my mom’s death in December 2012, I thought of grief in primarily emotional ways. I understood the potential for sadness. The tears. Desperate longing. Pain. I’d sat with many clients in the years leading up to her death – clients who sat across […]
Grief has a way of unraveling you. Thread by thread. Painful moment by painful moment. December 2012 thrust me into uncharted territory — the dark and messy wilderness of grief. On the ninth day of the month, my spunky and outspoken mother died after receiving a diagnosis of stage IV pancreatic cancer just 30 days […]
Death has a way of awakening you, focusing you, and shifting you in new directions. It took my mom dying when I was 37 years old to understand why my life was not flowing the way I wished it would. Yep, death opened my eyes to the importance of shifting priorities in life. Leading up […]