So, it’s the day after Thanksgiving.

I wonder how you did? I know one thing, YOU made it through the day. It doesn’t really matter how, you did it. I hope you were loved on and I hope you were able to find a new practice for this past Thanksgiving.

I met two widows in my town and invited them to our home (I’ve never done that before) It’s always been just family for us, but I couldn’t let those ladies spend Thanksgiving by themselves. When we prayed over our meal, one of the ladies looked at me as I mentioned our husbands and with tears in her eyes, she said, “They would be so proud of us”. We all cried it was a special moment. Tears are healing for sure…. Then we ate an amazing meal.

I remember years ago, Lew and I got a babysitter, really early and we went out
BLACK Friday style shopping for our kids. I remember Tickle Me Elmo was the rage and people were literally diving for this doll. At the time, I thought, should I grab this? I mean my son loved Elmo, but he was older now, he probably wouldn’t want it. When I say people were diving for this doll, I mean literally…rushing in to get this doll. I left without the doll because I wasn’t quick enough. I remember Lew and I laughing about the people and the way everyone was so frenzied about THINGS…. Fast froward to today, As I watch Instagram posts or TikTok posts about this one product that will take away years from my face… I sometimes think “Should I get that?” But, then I have a conversation with myself about the reality of that product. I will even see the same person on a different reel selling another product with the same intention to fix my problem. I am aging…. So how in the world can any product really stop that? Most likely, it will soften my skin and help me to feel better for a moment, but the reality is… I am aging and I can ether fight it and spend thousands on trying to not age or I can look at my skin as a part of my story. How I choose to care for it is really up to me. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have fallen for a few of those products only to realize that what I need is good nurturing foods and a practice of caring for my skin and body so that I age gracefully.

Here in comes our grief (you know I will always find a way to bridge our grief)
Our Grief journey is something most of us are trying to find a way out of, Wishing this was a dream, We will find ourselves wishing there was a pill or a book or ANYTHING to take away the pain and yet, we know the truth.. there isn’t anything that will take away our pain. We must walk with this grief and find ourselves, in this. I sent out an email about a guide that I created.

Will this guide take away your pain?

Nope… BUT, my hope is that it will give you some practices to guide you as you walk with your grief. These are practices that I found to be helpful for myself. I will never promise that this is going to be easy, even as I write this, I am sitting in my room and of course wishing this was not my reality as well.

You know what my Lew would never say to me? , “You stay stuck Gina, you grieve me forever and never find you Gina, YOU be sad over me forever, I don’t want you to feel again,I died, you shouldn’t live either”

On the contrary, He would encourage me to live, His exact words would be….”You are going to be ok babe….I am so proud of you, Keep going pumpkin”

Man, I miss his encouragement, HE was my biggest supporter, He believed in me. In the hardest season of my life, I must be the one who believes in ME and YOU my sweet widow friend must be YOUR biggest supporter

What kind things can you speak over yourself today? What would it look like to find a gentler way to walk within this grief?

Remember, your brain is only designed to listen to what you tell it. BE kind to you and speak to yourself as if you husband was talking to you. I love imagining Lew being my guide and pointing me to me, with his cheeky grin. sigh…. I miss that.

So on this Black Friday, get this guide so that you too can find some practices that might just land for you as you walk through this Holiday season!!

Love and HUGS…
Gina