What with being 50% Happy & 50% Sad at BEST, even during the BEST of times, I am going to quietly set down my suitcase 🧳 filled with the 50% Sadness and leave it right here in this safe space…..just for today, if I may….to take refuge from it’s wrath, for just one day, this day, March 31st. Today is special, and my intention is to go forth, like that of half-pair of scissors, with my remaining suitcase 🧳 filled with a pure & untainted 50% Happiness because my daughter, Moon 🌙 was born on this day, 19 years ago! And at this very time!!! OMG she was born at 1:32am and that’s right now!! 😮 Wow, I guess that’s how I know I’m supposed to share this with you guys. Ha! She’s turning 19, has her learner’s permit and hopes to have her full-on driver’s license in time to drive us both to the retreat in CT. 🤞 She has taken her time with getting her license, and for good reason: She had emergency heart surgery in Oct. ‘24, then her mother died of a heart attack the very next month in November, then right before Christmas her girlfriend (first love, big deal) went from kind to cruel and broke up with her (worst possible timing). Anybody else love the holidays? With being adopted at birth and homeschooled still to this day (taking her first college class at Valencia College in the Fall), Moon🌙 has become, and continues to become a beautiful & unique soul. She bought a new car today, and the whole dealership loved her, I mean they loved her! Here’s a photo with her salesperson before we left, giving her flowers & much needed hugs. Today, for her birthday, she has requested 3 things: #1. To go to breakfast at First Watch brunch restaurant, #2. To go to a piercing studio for an additional ear piercing and a belly button piercing (she’s already made herself an appointment for 3:00pm) 😳, #3. Lastly, she wants to go to Hooter’s before all of their locations close!!! (they are going out of business and she said this is her last opportunity to ever know what Hooter’s was like), so I said “OK”! 👍😆 I promise, I will be back to pick up my other suitcase 🧳. Thank you for literally letting me park my sadness here, just for a while, and I hope you can share in my happiness, joy and sheer delight in celebration of 19 years basking in the warm glow of 🌙.

When we grieve, emotions don’t just show up… they take over. They can feel unpredictable, overwhelming, even confusing. One moment you’re functioning, the next you’re pulled under by a wave you didn’t see coming. And a lot of people believe those emotions are just happening to them. But here’s something important to understand… Emotions don’t come out of nowhere. They come from what we focus on… and the meaning we give it. Every emotion you feel has a root: A thought. An image. A memory. A question your mind is asking—often on repeat. “What does this mean?” “Why did this happen?” “Am I going to be okay?” “Will I ever feel like myself again?” Your brain is constantly trying to make sense of what’s happened. And the meaning it lands on shapes how you feel in your body. If the meaning is: “I’ll never be okay again” → you feel hopeless “This shouldn’t have happened” → you feel anger “I should’ve done something” → you feel guilt Same loss… different meanings… completely different emotional experiences. This is why grief can feel so intense—because your mind is searching for certainty in something that feels so uncertain. Now, this doesn’t mean you “think your way out” of grief. That’s not the goal. But you can learn to guide your thinking so your emotions don’t completely run the show. Here are 3 steps to start doing that today: 1. Catch the thought behind the feeling When an emotion hits, pause and ask: “What was I just thinking?” Not the whole story—just the one thought that sparked the feeling. Awareness is everything. 2. Question the meaning you’re giving it Ask yourself: “Is this the only way to look at this?” Grief often narrows our perspective. Gently opening it—even a little—can shift the intensity. 3. Choose a thought that supports you (not fights reality) Not fake positivity. Not denial. But something grounding like: “This is hard… and I’m learning how to carry it.” “I don’t have all the answers today—and that’s okay.” This is how you begin to create space between you and the emotion.

Thank you to everyone who showed up today and chose to lean into the work of finding meaning after loss. There was something powerful in that room—real, grounded, human. You don’t get that everywhere. If you’re sitting with questions, reflections, or something that stirred in you… drop it here in the chat. I’m here with you. I’ve also had a lot of emails about my book—so yes. Inside, I walk you through the Grief Fundamentals I’ve created, including the deeper work around meaning. Not just understanding it… but actually building it in your life. Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9S9CJGV And if something in today’s experience made you want to go further—into real space, real connection, real work—my Grief Retreat is where we do that together. For details, reach out to me directly: t@mastergrief.com

I’ll be going live quite a bit this week so please check in for times!!!! Happy Sunday! How’s your grief today?