Stop. Breathe. Grieve.

Hi Everyone,

On my journey from grief to gratitude, I’ve had days that– even in the midst of my sorrow– have been filled with joy; days when my soul is at peace and I am able to appreciate the beauty and love which surround me. I’ve had other days when I am so overwhelmed by the turbulent sea of emotions churning inside me that I struggle to breathe. Days I feel as though I’m slogging through quicksand; when my soul aches so much that I’m surprised people don’t stop to ask if I’m okay. Fortunately, at this point in my journey, the good days far outnumber the bad ones. Now, whenever I have a couple of bad days in a row, I ‘practice what I preach’– meaning I do what I encourage others to do: Stop. Breathe. Allow myself to grieve.

Grieving is HARD, heart-breaking work. It’s incredibly painful because it requires you to FEEL your feelings.

I get it.

I feel your pain. 

There’s a hole in my heart, too.

Grief is not a linear process. And while feeling your feelings– sadness, anger, loneliness, guilt– is necessary, it isn’t possible or practical to allow yourself to mire in the depth of dark emotions for extended periods of time. Just keep in mind that being willing to do the hard work grieving requires directly correlates with our ability to heal our hearts.

As you journey towards wholeness, please be gentle with yourself. Even if you currently feel as though you are walking in darkness, the sun will shine again someday.

Remember, you are NOT alone,

Joanne