Ember & Bloom

Hi friend,

When someone asks how the family is doing, do you find yourself telling them about everyone else first?

You may know how the kids are coping. You may know who needs a phone call, what paperwork is waiting, and which plans need to be made. But when the question finally turns to you, the answer can be harder to find.

That has been on my mind this week. When you have spent so much time looking after others, it can feel strange to ask what you need. It can even feel uncomfortable to act on the answer.

I wrote more about this in Learning to Be on Your Own Side. If you have been taking care of everything and everyone while losing track of yourself, I hope you’ll read it.

✦ Just for You ✦

Something to Try

Today, make one small choice based on what you would like. Choose the meal you want, the music you want to hear, or the route you would rather take home. It does not have to be an important decision. Give yourself a moment to notice that your preference matters.

A place to begin

If learning to be on your own side feels unfamiliar, you don’t have to figure it out alone. I’m a widow and a life coach for widowed people, and I bring more than 25 years of coaching experience to this work. In a free 45-minute Holding the Ember call, you can tell me about your person and what life feels like right now. We’ll talk about what you need and whether working together might help.

Free - Holding the Ember Call

I’ll meet you here again next Monday.
Until then, take one small breath and know that it’s enough.

Hugs 💜💚
Gladys

Ember & Bloom Coaching for Widows

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205
Unsubscribe · Preferences

What Does Doodling Have to Do with Grief? | Ember & Bloom

Greetings From Ember & Bloom Hi friend, Have you ever found yourself doodling while talking on the phone? Maybe you filled the corner of a page with circles, lines, or little patterns without even thinking about it. Most of us have done something like that. But have you ever wondered why? I've been thinking about that question lately, especially when it comes to grief. Because something I started doing simply for fun eventually became an important part of how I learned to live after losing...

1 day ago • 2 min read

I spent 50 hours choosing a toaster

Greetings From Ember & Bloom Hi friend, The first year after Gary died, our toaster stopped working. I needed a new one. Simple enough, right? I spent well over fifty hours looking for a replacement. I knew how strange that sounded. I also knew I couldn’t seem to choose. The longer I looked, the more the decision seemed to matter. Have you had a choice like that? One that looked small to everyone else but left you second-guessing yourself? I wrote about what happened with the toaster, and...

9 days ago • 1 min read

Gary and Gladys - Forty years married. 41 years in love.

Greetings From Ember & Bloom Hi friend, Saturday was my 40th wedding anniversary. And today marks 41 years since Gary and I went on our first date. Forty-one years ago today, I was 18 years old and going on a blind date with a man I had never met. I was home by 10:00. My mother took one look at me and said, “Oh, I see you’re home early. It must have been a bad date.” I told her, “No, it wasn’t a bad date. I’m going to marry him.” And I did. Anniversaries are different now These two...

23 days ago • 1 min read