My last Life After Grief newsletter issue was sent in November 2024. This is a recap and reset for all of us.

Life happens. We have no control over events that break our hearts or disrupt our lives, only how we react to them.

Years Offering Affluence Code^Ⓡ & Bad Widow Coaching

Just before I turned 50, I was working as a medical editor at an advertising firm and asked myself, “Is this what you were born to do?” Hell no, and I quit shortly afterward. So in 2013, I built a coaching business to show people who were struggling or stuck how to unlock their Affluence Code^Ⓡ  and thrive with greater ease and joy.

In October 2015, my husband, David, was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer and in September 2016, he died in my arms at home. I was a widow and I fell apart.

Over time, as I solved my own grief challenges, remembering who I was without him, expanding my capacity to get things done and rebuilding my community, I coached other people to move forward with the Life After Grief Blueprint I created.

In 2021, I wrote a book, The Bad Widow Guide to Life After Loss: Moving Through Grief to Live and Love Again, and started sharing my story on lots of podcasts to help others who were grieving.

I was in a groove, coaching bereaved people on how to stay resilient and move forward into an expanded life, using the clarity on what truly matters which loss provides.

Ups and Downs of Being a Family Caregiver

However, then life took another turn. David left me his mom to care for after he died and I promised him I would, even though we had a VERY challenging relationship the 25 years David and I were together.

On September 10th, it will be 9 years. I have become one of the 37 million unpaid mostly family caregivers in the US. In the last 6 years, as her physical and mental health declined, my caregiving responsibilities have grown, along with our love for each other. However, it ate my life.

I wanted her to be able to stay home until the end, as long as I could keep her safe, but I failed. In 2025, she started falling every month. A week short of her 102nd birthday, I moved her into a nursing home. This photo is us together last week.

I am glad and sad with lots of mixed feelings. If I get sick, she will still eat. If I go on vacation, I don't have to chase down the EMTs to make sure she is OK. She will be taken care of.

What Comes Next?

I have an extra 5-10 hours a day for the first time in years. I will be filling my time mindfully, transforming lives, including my own, by prioritizing what truly matters with joy and ease.

I am asking myself:

• WHO will I choose to spend time with and serve?

• WHAT do I want to do for work and other activities?

• WHEN do I prioritize myself with movement, self-expression and self-care?

• WHERE do I want to spend my time?

• HOW can I feel at ease at home, at work and in my relationships?

Does this story resonate with you? If so, why?

What urgent challenges are you facing right now and how can I help?