Working with grief : Growing up as a military kid, I didn’t have the opportunity to get to know my extended family. We moved every 2-3 years so the people closest to me were my parents, and siblings. As a kid that moves around a lot, you learn to adapt and make friends knowing that, that connection may be short... and all the more reason to cherish it and love that person as hard as you can! At least that was what my experience was of it... My Grandpa Chuck passed away a few days ago... and I am just now feeling (or just now allowing myself to feel) the sadness. And I am noticing that it is a different type of sadness. When my other grandparents passed on, the sadness was of not having the opportunity to really get to know them. But with Grandpa Chuck, I had that opportunity when I moved to SF in 2004, and I am experiencing the grief differently. How do you deal with grief? Well, day by day... minute by minute. Right now, I am working with grief to celebrate Grandpa Chuck and the impact he had on my life. I made space for it. I made some coffee. Drinking it out of a mug he bought me. I’m sitting here writing this, and looking out the window allowing my heart to be open and express itself how it needs. Feeling grateful to have known him, and grateful for having the opportunity to love hard, knowing it was received, and to feel that love in return.

<3 Danielle