Hello! Hope you are off to a great week. I just got back from a Parenting with Love and Logic conference, which came at the perfect time. Parenting can be so challenging and I was in dire need of more tools for my parenting toolbox. The seminar did not disappoint and I would highly recommend going or checking out their resources: www.loveandlogic.com.
Today’s post is short ‘n’ sweet and about one of the most helpful things I’ve done in moving forward after loss.
A few months into my health improving and moving through a heavy season of grief, I started to feel a desire in my soul for a new beginning. For the first time, I felt hopeful about my future.
I’d finally given myself permission to grieve and explore the painful feelings and traumatic parts of losing my husband, Andrew. Coming out the other side and accepting my past somehow made me ready to take ownership of my future.
I envisioned a simplified life.
It made the most sense to me to start with my home, since that’s where my daughter, Ellie, and me spend most of our time and it’s the foundation of everything we do. So I set a goal over Christmas break to go from room to room and get rid of anything I didn’t love, use, or need.
It took me three weeks to complete my goal and the results were shocking. It was a little scary to get rid of so many things, but at the same time I felt like I could breathe deeply for the first time.
I could finally manage what I had, instead of feeling like my stuff was managing my time and mental energy.
A great book I would highly recommend, because it was so helpful throughout this process, is A Simplified Life. If, like me, you’re wanting to make more space in your life for what matters most to you, then the tips and resources in this book are a great place to start.
A huge part of this process was making my home my own, since most of the décor and furniture I’d had since I got married. I changed things up by getting a new bed comforter and pillows for my room. I also gave away my dining room table set because we weren’t using it.
Eating at our large dining room table always made me sad, as it was in an isolated room, it was so big, and it reminded me of who was missing (Andrew and the potential of our future family).
So Ellie and I would eat on TV trays in the living room every night. I wanted the two of us to sit down at a table and eat dinner together, so I bit the bullet and bought a small dinner table that would fit in the breakfast area in our kitchen.
Simplifying my household and making my home my own have been important steps in moving forward with my life after loss and it’s empowered me to feel like I’m capable of managing my everyday life.
Tossing out the clutter cleared my mind for new creative ideas, brought clarity about what’s most important to me, and created intentional time to spend with my daughter.
If you’ve experienced a loss of a loved one or loss of a dream, what steps did you take to move forward with your life? I’d love for you to share.
Thank you so much for spending time with me today! I’m looking forward to reading your comments. Keep moving forward, one small step at a time! Love and Blessings.
Recent Comments