Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.

The days begin to shorten. Familiar routines return. The season starts changing around us and sometimes before we feel ready for it.

Grief and life transitions can leave us living in an uncomfortable space between what was and what comes next.

The life you once knew may no longer fit and the life ahead may not feel clear yet either.

Why does moving forward sometimes feel like leaving something or someone behind?

If you are standing somewhere between what was and what is becoming, I want you to know that you are not lost.

You may no longer recognize the person looking back at you. Things that once mattered may feel less important. Relationships may change. Responsibilities may shift. Even familiar places, traditions, and routines can feel different.

This can happen after a death, divorce, health diagnosis, career change, caregiving journey, friendship loss, empty nest, retirement, or any experience that changes the life you thought you would be living.

There is nothing wrong with you because you do not have the next chapter figured out.

Sometimes healing begins when we stop demanding an answer and give ourselves permission to become curious about what is changing within us.

Instead, it holds space for both the pain of today and the possibility that brighter days can still come.

Perhaps that is what hope really is, not denying what has happened, allowing yourself to believe that your story can still hold goodness.

Recently, a woman shared that after years of caring for everyone else—and then walking through several painful changes—she no longer knew how to answer a seemingly simple question:

Sometimes grief does not only leave an empty chair or change our circumstances. It can leave an empty space inside the identity we once knew.

The woman she had been was not gone. Parts of her had simply been buried beneath responsibility, survival, disappointment, and loss.

She started noticing what brought her peace, what drained her, what she was no longer willing to carry, and what she wanted to welcome back into her life.

Maybe it is simply to become curious about the person who is already beginning to emerge.

☐ You feel guilty when you think about moving forward or wanting something new.

☐ You feel restless or disconnected, even when life appears fine from the outside.

☐ You miss the person you used to be and know you cannot return to life exactly as it was.

You may be adjusting to a life that changed before your heart, mind, and body had time to catch up.

Your brain and nervous system are constantly looking for what is familiar because familiarity can feel like safety.

Even when an old way of living was exhausting, painful, or no longer serving you, it was still known.

That is why part of you may want change while another part resists it. You may feel hopeful one moment and overwhelmed the next. You may take a step forward and then suddenly want to retreat.

It means your mind and body are learning how to feel safe in a life that looks different from the one they knew.

Healing is not always one dramatic breakthrough. Often, it happens through small experiences that quietly teach your nervous system:

Take a slow breath in through your nose, and then allow yourself to exhale fully.

Simply notice what comes forward; a word, an emotion, a memory, or even silence.

Your next step does not have to reveal the entire path. It only needs to be the next kind and honest step.

We may only see what has ended, what has changed, or what still feels uncertain.

Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.

He is present in the space between the person you were and the person you are becoming.

You do not have to understand the entire journey to trust that your story is still being written.

Becoming Is Officially Open!

My heart is still so full after the ribbon cutting and open house for Becoming: A Space to Breathe, Heal & Begin Again.

Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate, toured the space, shared encouraging words, and helped make the day so meaningful.

Becoming is more than a physical location.

It is a place where people can exhale, feel what they need to feel, receive support, and begin discovering what life can look like after loss or change.

This space will be home to individual coaching, grief support, breathwork, workshops, retreats, podcast conversations, and meaningful community.

I cannot wait to see what continues to unfold here.

The Woman I Used to Be

From September 21–24, Dena and I will welcome a small group of women to Lake of the Ozarks for:

The Woman I Used to Be: A Retreat to Help You Find Her Again

This four-day, faith-centered experience is for the woman who has spent so much time caring for others, surviving difficult seasons, or adjusting to loss that she is no longer sure where she fits into her own life.

Together, we will create space to rest, reflect, reconnect, and gently explore, not only the woman you used to be, but the woman you may be becoming now.

What might become possible if you gave yourself permission to step away from the noise and listen to what your heart has been trying to tell you? Click For More Information

September Breathwork Special

Have you been feeling emotionally heavy, mentally exhausted, disconnected from yourself, or unable to fully relax?

Sometimes we cannot think our way out of what the body has been carrying.

Somatic Breathwork offers a supported opportunity to release stored stress, reconnect with your body, and create space for something new.

For September, we are offering a special invitation:

If you have attended one of our breathwork sessions before, bring a friend and receive the September special or if you and a friend are both new to breathwork, you can experience your first session together at the special rate. 2 for $80.00

Find More Information and Available Dates Click Here

When Strong Isn’t Working Anymore

Our free community support group continues at Becoming.

This gathering is for men and women navigating grief, loss, or one of life’s difficult transitions.

There is no cost, no pressure to speak, and no expectation that you have the right words. You are welcome to simply come and be with people who understand that “being strong” can sometimes become another form of survival.

This month’s conversation will focus on: Learning to Receive Support

Next Gathering: Tuesday, September 15
Time: 6:00–7:00 PM
Location: Becoming: A Space to Breathe, Heal & Begin Again
9500 Collinsville Road, Suite 6, Collinsville, IL 62234

You do not have to carry everything alone. More Information

Female Voices: Life & Loss Podcast

New conversations continue this month on Female Voices: Life & Loss.

Through lived stories and gentle insight, we are talking about grief in all its forms; the losses people see, the ones they do not, and the ways those experiences reshape our lives and identities.

If you have ever wondered, “Am I the only one who feels this way?” these conversations are here to remind you that you are not alone.

I am also continuing this new season of the podcast as your solo host. While Wayna will not be returning as co-host, I am deeply grateful for everything we created together. My hope is that she will return for a future episode to share more about her journey and what this new season has brought into her life.

I am looking forward to continuing to bring you meaningful conversations, lived stories, and gentle support for life after loss.

Listen to the latest episodes here: Click to Listen

Before You Go…

You do not have to rush to become the next version of yourself.

You do not have to force clarity.

And you do not have to leave behind the people, memories, or parts of your story that still matter.

For today, perhaps your invitation is simply to notice what you need.

A breath.

A boundary.

A conversation.

A safe place to land.

Or permission to take one small step toward the life that is quietly beginning to emerge.

You are not behind.

You are not starting over.

You are becoming.

A Thought to Carry With You

You are not starting over. You are beginning again with everything life has taught you.

“My mission is to work with compassionate grieving women to navigate their path of grief, fostering resilience and finding clarity and understanding in their journey. My role as a Grief Specialist is to support them in reclaiming their freedom to live fully and to cultivate a deeper sense of trust in themselves as they move through the healing process."

When you are ready, here are a few more ways I can empower you on your grief journey:

You can check out my podcast: Female Voice: Life & Loss. Our podcast is dedicated to women from all walks of life, providing a supportive and encouraging platform that addresses the various challenges they face. We aim to offer compassionate guidance, share diverse stories, and equip listeners with practical advice and resources to help them grow, heal, and thrive through every stage of their journey.