How is it going with all of those unruly emotions that you’re trying to control/suppress? Perhaps you have been pushing past the sadness, the anger, the irritation. After all, there are children to be fed and deadlines to meet and other people have it so much worse than you. Let me invite you to stop comparing and compartmentalizing your churning emotional world. The worst grief is always YOUR grief…
Yesterday, I *finally* took my 2020 Goals off of the wall. My business coach had suggested putting them there, in my line of sight, so I could measure my progress. A good idea. Until COVID-19.
Read MoreThe first days of February were erratic, veering from sixty-degree-sunny skies to persistent, freezing rain.
There is something fitting to the unpredictable weather. On February 15, Mercy Joan (my daughter) would have been nine years old. Our family steps into another year without her.
Read MoreMental health matters in your workplace. It is one of the most important factors identified in Springbuk’s Employee Health Trends 2020 Report. Nearly 1 in 5 employees have a mental health condition.
Mental health issues take a toll on productivity and presence…and they are expensive. Claims for medical and prescriptions are more than twice what it costs for those without a mental health condition.
Read MoreNews outlets and social media feeds are full of pain today over the tragic loss of Kobe Bryant and the eight others who died yesterday morning. We are signaling our pain, our awareness of loss, through quotes and photos.
Read MoreThe Great British Baking Show offered a tremendous lesson in the power of empathy in the final episode.
Read MoreAn encounter with empathy and great customer service to close out my workday...
Read MoreAttentive listening is powerful…and difficult. Whether you are a manager, a parent, a co-worker, or just a human being, an important first step to helping someone in pain is to pause, pay attention, and listen.
Read MoreInfertility and miscarriage are an unfortunately common and often private pain…and asking this question can cause great discomfort in social interactions.
Read MoreToday, I want to offer five reflections on gestures that have been meaningful in this intermediate stage of grief, when the immediate pain of loss has changed into the longer journey with coping.
Read MoreHow do you mark difficult anniversaries? The days feel unwieldy and hard to manage. We’ve tried a number of different things, but even after all these years, I never really know what I want on these complicated days.
Read MoreToday, I share a slideshow of Mercy Joan and reflections on the eve of her birthday:
Perhaps you too have been reduced, laid bare by life. If so, I hope you have space to embrace the complexity, to release yourself to these days that are joyful and troubling and true.
Read MoreAnger is part of the complicated landscape of pain. I explore anger, indecision, and my explosive encounter with an unyielding librarian in today’s blog post.
Read MoreEarly grief is intensely physical…now, when I hear about the car crash or the divorce or the diagnosis, I put on my apron and bake a loaf of bread. I arrive with a chai tea latte or an offer of childcare. Especially when the sorrow is fresh, embodied care is immensely impactful. Offer a hug, clean a toilet, send a bar of chocolate. Words are important but incomplete.
Read MoreThe tempestuous weather of February seems appropriate; it finds strange symmetry with my inner world. February is the month when my daughter, Mercy Joan, was born. February is the month that she died…and I find myself feeling as unpredictable as the weather.
Read MoreSpeaker. Consultant. Storyteller.
I help people survive, stabilize, and thrive in the aftermath of adversity.
