I was introduced to grief at the young age of three when my father drowned in a boating accident. My brother was six. The devastation my mother must have felt to receive that dreadful news is hard to even imagine. The fairy tale ending of a love story had ended abruptly and the loss of my father destroyed any hope for my mother’s happiness.
When I was eleven years old grief struck again. While walking home from school one day to have lunch with my mother I noticed several cars parked in front of our house. When I walked in the door I was told that my mother had died that morning. She died of suicide. So many emotions hit all at once. My world as I knew it would never be the same for my brother and I again.
What a blessing it was when our grandparents decided they wanted to have us live with them. They provided a safety net for us and we had many memorable times together. The one component that was lacking was communication. There was very little discussion about our parents nor were we ever asked about our feelings. My heart was severely broken and I had no idea how or if I could mend it.
After experiencing low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence, feelings of unworthiness, rejection, abandonment and extreme loneliness during my young formative years, I realized later in life that I was responsible for my own happiness. I could no longer allow my past to define who I was or be the excuse for missed opportunities. It was my choice to remove the many band-aids attached to my heart and to begin to heal.
In the fall of 2014 I became a Life Coach. This was certainly a journey of self-discovery and self-awareness that was instrumental in beginning the process of healing. It was evident there was still more work to be done and in 2016 I became a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®. It was through The Grief Recovery Method® program that I was able to heal the pain, complete my grief, and experience a more fulfilled, peaceful and joyous life.
Helping others overcome the pain after experiencing a significant loss in their lives has become a passion of mine. I know all too well what unresolved grief can do if not acknowledged or treated.
My life journey continues with my husband and two grown children. It is through their accomplishments and successes that I am most proud.
I have waited, waited for the Lord, and he stooped toward me and heard my cry. He drew me out of the pit of destruction, out of the mud of the swamp; He set my feet upon a crag; he made firm my steps. And He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn to our God. Many shall look on in awe, and trust in the Lord.