So, What's New?

Blogging has been a long time coming. I've been busy behind the scenes here. While life certainly never stands still, it also isn't for the faint at heart.

The first thing I'm THRILLED to announce is that I'm now a Certified Grief Educator with David Kessler.

So what does that mean?

A Certified Grief Educator is committed to providing the highest level of grief support through education, experience, and insights into the often unacknowledged rocky terrain of grief. 

Certified Grief Educators completed a certificate program designed by world-renowned grief expert, David Kessler. They bring his unique methodology, tools, and decades of experience to help people navigate the challenges of grief.

#GriefEducator

All that to say, I have a new set of tools. And grief isn't just surrounded in death. Grief can be the loss of a relationship, loss of a job, loss of something known.

WHY have I needed this? Well, amidst all of the training, my person became ill unexpectedly. It's been a journey with a lot of recovery hopes, but for now, I've become a caregiver. It gets better week to week, but it's been hard. Yes, I know I'm being vague. My apologies, but I don't want my person's medical stuff floating around the interwebs.

What I can say is that we've gone from literally everything needing to be done to mobility being our primary challenge and area of support. We are a team and still find time to laugh and find joy. Again - it's hard. To go from a partnership... let's say 60%/40% knowing it changes back and forth between a couple... to very different balances - there really are no words to fully describe and understand this when it's sudden.

I liken it this way. My person gives 100%. But 80% must be on recovery. That leaves the remaining percentage to be focused on everything else. On the flipside, what my person can't maintain still needs to get done. Yup. That's me.

I've cried over the dishes. I've grumbled to myself walking home from the mechanic because BOTH cars needed to be inspected by the same date and it's just too darn close to ask someone to pick me up, yet just annoying enough to have to do solo.

Yes, I have a million offers for help. No, I don't always accept. It's not an unwillingness. I'm tired. I don't know what to ask for; I don't know what I want to ask for; I don't want to ask more of people already going out of their way. Ok, I'm a little of a lone wolf. I want to keep my pack together and have this feeling like I have to do it all. I'll find a therapist when this is done.

Grief Education came about after volunteering with David Kessler for years on the tech support for his Tender Hearts community. My friend and mentor did the Grief Educator program and connected, us - her team - to help train the bereaved on Zoom and the Tender Hearts platform. It's really rewarding when you see someone so frustrated with technology and finally take a sigh of relief. So I decided to jump in.

The journey isn't easy. 12 weeks of classes, lab work and guest speakers. It's a commitment. But extremely eye opening. Things I've held onto since losing my mother 17 years ago are no longer my burden. The guilt I've held onto is released. And it's allowed me to also process what is going on in my day-to-day life.

So what now? Let me officially announce my newest community:

The Caregiver Circle:

Connect, Advocate, Reflect, Empower, Grow, Inform, Validation, Encourage, Restore

This is going to be a place for Caregivers, or Caregivers to be, to realize they're not alone. To feel all the feels. Support your person, while taking care of yourself.

I have big ideas that I'm still shaking out. It's going to evolve and change ... which is all part of life!

Fun Fact: 1 in 4 people will become a caregiver.

So watch this space. If I can help one person because of the journey I've been on... I call it a success.