Grief can be a heavy and lonely journey to walk alone.

Whatever your grief story is, it can be so hard to carry it all forward without support.

You deserve to grieve in whatever way feels right for you.
You deserve to be heard and seen in your grief.
You deserve validation and support in your grief.

Hello, I’m Michele

Grief Specialist, Educator, Life Coach, End of Life Doula, Grief Movement Guide, Writer, Speaker and fellow griever who cares a whole lot about you.

People often ask why I do this work and why I am so passionate about loss and grief. My answer is simple.

I do this work because I have been there and I know how much loss hurts.

I have walked through the fire of loss and grief and I know how paralyzing it can be. My heart has been cracked wide open and at times, the pain of grief was so overwhelming I felt like it might swallow me whole.

It is, in part, because of my own painful life experiences that I am dedicated to helping others who are struggling and facing some of their most difficult seasons in life. And in today’s world there seems to be loss and grief everywhere. But – I also know things can get better and hope can be restored. 

We can’t escape loss and grief but we can choose how we live and love every day.

Read my full grief story →

I believe… 

  • Grief is messy, complicated and unpredictable. It is not linear.

  • Grief is a deeply profound personal experience and it is different for everyone.

  • There is no right or wrong way to grieve but there is healing through connection and allowing ourselves to feel all that we need to feel. You can’t skip the pain.

  • Joy and pain can exist in the same space – our hearts have room for both.

  • We grieve because we love. One does not exist without the other.

  • Grief cannot be fixed but we can grow around our grief and learn to carry it forward. Life may be different but you can find happiness again.

  • It’s important to keep moving even if it is one small step at a time. There will be days when taking a shower is a small win.

Your Grief Matters

 Who I serve…

This is a safe place to land for anyone:

  • Grieving the loss of a loved one

  • Grieving the loss of your health or battling a chronic illness and pain

  • Grieving any type of loss that has brought significant change to your life

  • Desperately trying to love and support someone who is grieving, struggling and in pain

This space is for YOU. 

 

What you will find here…

  • Kindness, compassion, love and support

  • Blog posts that are relevant, honest and real in the world of loss and grief

  • Resources & workshops to better understand grief and how to better cope with your personal journey of loss

  • Connection and community

  • Tips on self-care

  • Guidance and tips on how to help someone who is grieving

  • Resources & workshops on Grief in the Workplace

  • One on one coaching

  • End of Life Support for patients and their families

 

 

What you won’t find here…

  • Unrealistic expectations

  • Platitudes

  • Tips on how to “get over it” or “move on”

  • Fixing, judgement, comparison or shame

My education & training…

 

As Seen On…

A little more about me…

  • I’m a small town girl at heart who loves life and fights to bring calm to the chaos every day. 

  • My husband owns a travel company and I love tagging along all over the world every chance I get and yes I always pack way too many shoes. 

  • We are the female version of the Brady Bunch (I need an Alice) and merged our two families with six beautiful girls, two son-in-laws and two dogs. And I am now head over heels in love with my first grandbaby and another one on the way.

  • I love music, a good book, bonfires and movies (have seen Eat, Pray, Love 10 times).

  • We spend a lot of time at our cabin in Northern Minnesota and I have a thousand pictures of beautiful sunsets. Sunsets are one of my favorite things.

  • Family, friends, love & laughter make life better.

  • My passion is changing how we think about grief and helping those who are grieving find joy in life again.

 

My Grief Story

 

I learned how dark and lonely grief can be at the young age of 17. My best friend was killed in a car accident in the Fall of our Senior year. My world stopped and my life was never quite the same. Back then, there were no resources and the lack of support left me feeling lost, hopeless and alone. 

Sadly, I didn’t know how to cope with such a devastating loss and I learned to hide my grief and tried to move on.

But – grief doesn’t work that way. Grief doesn’t move on. It stays with us and becomes a part of who we are. 

The loss of my friend would become one of many painful losses including but not limited to several heartbreaking miscarriages, the death of my dad at age 52 due to alcoholism, the death of my first husband and the father of two of my young daughters in a tragic boating accident and currently, I’m grieving the loss of my health and the diagnosis of a chronic illness with no cure. 

Every single loss changed my life in deep and profound ways but I also noticed a disturbing and common trend -

There was a lack of helpful resources and support, honest conversations were hard to find and at times, true connection with those I needed the most sometimes disappeared.

Grief often sucked me into a dark void filled with loneliness, isolation, unrealistic expectations, judgement, misinformation and pressure to somehow pretend all was fine and to just move on.

It took years for me to realize that hiding my grief and trying to rush through the pain without feeling all that I needed to feel kept me stuck in an unhealthy loop of grief far too long.

 

Grief is brutal but it is something that everyone will deal with at some point in life. I created this space because I don’t want people to feel alone in the journey or to stay stuck in their grief for too long. 

I can’t fix your grief and I do not have all of the answers but I can promise you that I will keep showing up and I will meet you right where you are. It is my hope you will feel supported, loved, validated and heard. 

Let’s be honest – the journey of grief is never easy and it can feel like you will never find joy again but it is possible to rebuild a new life that while different, can integrate living with grief alongside purpose and joy.

It all starts with self-awareness and the desire to move forward even if it means moving forward carrying grief. It starts with honest conversations, listening and compassion. It starts with connection, kindness and love.

Whether you are grieving a loss or you are desperately trying to help someone who is grieving, I’m glad you are here. While it is impossible to know exactly what you are feeling in your personal grief journey, this site is created out of love for you. Thank you for having the courage to show up. We are all in this together – one small step at a time.

With Love,

 Is it time for you to get support in your grief journey?