Grief has been a constant companion in my life. In 2010, I lost my childhood friend Gracie in a tragic ski accident. The following year, I lost my son Adrian to a fatal diagnosis in pregnancy, and then experienced a 5 week pregnancy loss just three months later. Then, in 2014, my best friend Amber passed away from ovarian cancer. These back to back losses knocked me down, and I struggled to get back up. 

Through the years, I did what many of us do—I sought therapy, which was incredibly helpful. I learned tools to navigate the waves of grief, to process the pain, and to function in daily life. But despite all of that, I still carried my grief in such a heavy way. It felt like a weight that I couldn't put down, something I had learned to live with but would never feel “free” from.

Last year, I completed the Certified Grief Educator program through David Kessler, and it was incredibly healing. For the first time, I understood that my grief wasn’t something to “fix” or “move past.” It was normal. I was normal. There was nothing wrong with me for still feeling the depth of my losses. I also realized that our society doesn’t handle grief well. There is so much pressure to “move on” or “get back to normal,” as if that were even possible after losing people we love. 

One of the most eye-opening things I learned is why grief lingers so heavily—because it hasn’t been witnessed. I hadn’t been given the space to fully share and be seen in my grief, without the expectation of needing to make it smaller or easier for others to hold.

The Retreat That Changed Everything

This realization led me to do something I never expected—I signed up for a grief retreat in Georgia last June. I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but I knew I needed to try something different. What I found was life-changing.

For the first time in so long, I felt truly seen. I felt community in a way I had never experienced before. I couldn’t believe the depth of connection I built with complete strangers in just a few days. And just as powerful as sharing my own grief was the experience of witnessing others’ grief and growth throughout the retreat. 

I left feeling lighter, more myself than I had ever felt before. I left feeling like I could truly say that I love myself—something I didn’t think was possible.

Why I’m Hosting a Grief Retreat

This experience was so transformative that I knew I had to bring it to others. I want to offer the same connection, support, and healing to those who feel like their grief has no place to go. In a society that doesn’t support grief, I want to create a space where it is not only allowed but honored.

This is why I am collaborating with two other incredible women who know grief well to host the Rooted in the Tides of Life Grief Retreat in May 2025—to provide a sanctuary for those who need their grief to be witnessed, for those who want to feel lighter, for those seeking community, and for those who are ready to find themselves again.

If this speaks to you, if you’ve felt the weight of grief for too long, this retreat is for you. You don’t have to carry it alone. Join us and find the solace you deserve.

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