Grief

Grief is a strange thing. While I'm certain it's different for everyone, Ive not been feeling how I expected to feel. I thought I'd be on the ground sobbing without end, but that hasn't been the case. Instead, I've been plagued with thick mental fog and have to fight to put one foot in front of the other.

As I run my own business and my "to do" list is a million tasks long, there's been a constant panic around my inability to think clearly or move through the unrealistic set of tasks I've given myself. It's so easy to fall back on the habit of shame based thinking and the old idea that I must muscle through or "pull myself up by my boot straps" and march forward.

Gratefully, I know that isn't the answer. I'm reminded that at times like these it's important to be extremely gentle with ourselves. Grief is big. It's heavy. It's all encompassing. Even if you're not specifically grieving a death, chances are life has thrown you a curveball or two. It's in these times, the hard ones, that we have to heap compassion on ourselves. We need more love, not less. So, my friend, easy does it. Reach out to those you love and connect. Those relationships are all that really matters. Breathe deeply and in gratitude. For every breath is a privilege.