Greetings From

Ember & Bloom

Hi friend,

Today is a day that means different things to different people.

Some of you are carrying a grief that this country pauses for.

Some of you are not.

Some of you are at a cookout right now.

Some of you could not bring yourself to go.

All of you are welcome here.

Memorial Day has a strange shape for widows.

The whole country is talking about loss for one day.

The whole country is thinking about people who are gone.

And we live in that air every day of the year.

For some of us, that feels like company.

For some of us, it feels lonely in a way that is hard to name.

For me, it is the start of summer. The grill. The lawn chair. The empty seat that gets louder every year.

I wrote something today for the widows who are not quite sure where they belong in this day. What Memorial Day Means​

Something to Try

If today feels heavy, or strange, or louder than you expected, try this.

Find a quiet minute.

Step outside if you can.

Take three slow breaths.

Say your person's name out loud, even softly.

Tell them what the day looks like where you are.

What the sky is doing.

What you are eating.

Who is around you.

You do not have to do this for long.

Just long enough to know they are still with you in the season that is starting.

If today is heavy, and you would like a quiet space to talk about what this day is asking of you, I would be glad to sit with you. You can schedule a free Holding the Ember conversation any time.

I'll meet you here again next Monday.

Until then, take one small breath and know that it is enough.

Hugs 💜💚

— Gladys