(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 […]
Have you ever felt, in the midst of life’s challenges, that hope is a mirage? You know … the more you look out into the distance, the foggier and more blurry the scene becomes? Yeah, me too. For many, the pandemic has created a bit of a standstill on multiple levels. I find myself etched […]
We often ask what we can do as we wait in life, but have you ever thought about what we can be in the waiting instead? A couple of weeks ago, I met up with a girlfriend for lunch at a local eatery. It was a rainy and cold day, so I was quite content […]
What does it mean to embrace slower rhythms, especially when we live in a world that reinforces busy-ness? First things first … let me be clear. I am a DO-ER. While I’d love to say I feel zen and relaxed throughout most of life’s ebbs and flows, unfortunately, it’s simply not true. I like the […]
‘Wherever you go, there you are.’ This is the title of a 2005 book by author, Jon Kabat-Zinn. At the time, I’d become increasingly interested in the concept of mindfulness. If you’re curious, as I was, you can read more about Kabat-Zinn’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Wherever-You-There-Are-Mindfulness/dp/1401307787. For whatever reason, I found myself restless, in search of […]
The year, 2013. Just two months after awakening to discover my mom’s lifeless body next to me and my brother, I stood before a class of academically hungry doctoral students. My role, Associate Professor. Each breath I took seemed insurmountable and forced in that moment. The problem? I was leading while grieving. Before I share […]
In 2013, another question my therapist asked was “Mekel, what do you think about unleashing the power of movement in grief? Hmmm … I hadn’t really considered how the two might be connected at that point in my grief journey. After my mom died in late 2012, and my body began sending non-stop signals in […]
I never really considered the power of putting pen to paper until 2012. That’s the year my mom died. As a result, I found myself in a club I never wanted to be a part of, namely one filled with grieving souls. After resisting everything associated with grief for roughly one year after her death, […]
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 […]
