The Grief Coach

This Mental Health Awareness Month, we come together to shed light on an important aspect of our emotional well-being: grief. Grief encompasses not only the loss of a loved one but also non-death losses, such as life transitions, shattered dreams, or the end of a relationship. During this time, let's explore how we can integrate our grief into our lives, fostering growth and resilience. 💔✨

Did you know that grief is a universal experience? Studies reveal that approximately 1 in 3 individuals face non-death losses that deeply impact their mental well-being. Whether we mourn the loss of a person, a job, a cherished dream, or a significant life change, the weight of grief can be profound. You are not alone in your journey. ❤️

During Mental Health Awareness Month, we invite you to honor your grief by embracing integration rather than seeking mere healing. Integration means acknowledging the profound impact grief has on our lives and finding ways to incorporate it into our ongoing journey.

Observances like Mother's Day can bring up complicated feelings for those of us who do not have the kind of relationship with our parents that feels celebratory. For so many, Mother's Day can feel like a constant display of a relationship you never got to have, and yet everyone around you seems to have.

Additionally, those without strong relationships to their parents often receive judgement, putting the responsibility of repairing a relationship on the child - this can leave adult children feeling incredibly disenfranchised in the boundaries they have set around their own peace.

As we approach Mother's Day, I'd like to give permission to everyone who grieves the lack of relationship with their mother. As you navigate this repeatedly difficult season, remember:

Your experience is valid, and your pain is real.
You do not have to justify your choice to anyone.
You deserve to have a mom you want to celebrate.
You are worthy of unconditional love.

The first week of reading through my old journals brought up so many complicated emotions, from cringing at the boy-crazy little version of myself, to realizing how deeply lonely I was during the times I would write. Something I noticed pretty quickly was that I wouldn't typically write when life was good, but rather, I would turn to my journals when my heart seemed like it just had so much to say.

There is a reason journaling is so highly recommended in grief work. On the pages in front of you, you can be unfiltered, unkind, irrational, and downright petty - and yet, those words are only for you to work out on paper.

Today, I was filled with so much love and compassion for 'little Kaylee'. At 10 years old her heart was filled with hope about becoming someone great someday.

I wanted to hold that little girl and tell her that she's absolutely right - she would become someone amazing and vibrant. Most importantly she would become someone she is truly proud of.

I wanted to brace her though, and warn her that life will make her question that hope.

I wanted to urge her not to give up when times felt truly testing., But I also knew, that without my guidance, she became exactly who she was meant to be, and I am so thankful for her.

# reflections