Life is short — and I don’t mean that in the cliché “Live, Laugh, Love” way that belongs on a distressed wooden sign at Hobby Lobby. I mean it in the way you feel it when life yanks the rug out from under you and the air feels too thin to breathe.
It has been one year since Eric died.
When Loss Makes You Pay Attention to Life Again
And in all the grief, the quiet moments, the ruminating I keep trying not to do, there’s this one truth that keeps coming back to me again and again:
I don’t want to sleepwalk through my days.
Not anymore.
Life is too short for that.
Somewhere in the middle of the quiet moments, the hospital memories, the decisions I didn’t want to make, and the silence I still haven’t gotten used to, something has shifted in me.
I Don’t Want to Sleepwalk Through My Days Anymore
I'm realizing that I’m no longer content to let life happen around me while I watch from the sidelines, being pulled along by the passage of time while checking off the days on my calendar as if on autopilot... living in survival mode.
I’m not talking about some reckless bucket-list energy.
I’m talking about intention — the kind that comes from remembering how fragile and precious all of this is.
I want to travel.
I want to see things.
I want to experience the world and actually feel it again.
Learning to Choose Intention Instead of Survival Mode
I want to live a life that isn’t just happening around me but one I’m actually inside of. One that doesn't consist of sitting in the same routines until they blur into each other.
Not to escape my grief… but to honor the part of me (and honestly, the part of us) that loved adventure, curiosity, and little moments that turned into big memories.
What’s surprised me most this past year is how loss changes the way you see the ordinary.
Letting New Memories Exist Beside the Old Ones
Things I used to brush off — a last-minute day trip, a conversation with someone interesting, the sunset on a random Tuesday — now feel like invitations.
Almost like life whispering, Hey, don’t forget… this matters too. A lot.
And I’m learning that I don’t need a dramatic reinvention. I just need to keep choosing to show up. There’s a different kind of intention waking up in me — slow, steady, small at first, but definitely there. It sounds like this:
Don’t wait. Don’t shrink yourself. Don’t hold off on the things that matter because you assume you’ll “get to them eventually.”
I’m not pretending I’ve got everything figured out. I’m still finding my footing. But there’s a part of me that wants to feel more of life again — the color, the light, the movement, the possibility.
I want to take the drive.
Go on the trip.
Say yes to the little adventures... the experiences.
Let myself dream again.
Let new memories exist alongside the old ones without feeling like that’s a betrayal.
Grief didn’t break me.
But it did crack something open.
And in that space, there’s this new clarity about what I want my life to feel like — intentional, full, curious, lived.
A Reminder for Anyone in a Hard Season
If you’re in a hard season of your own, I hope you hear this clearly:
You don’t have to change everything.
You don’t have to rush anything.
You don’t have to “move on.”
You also don’t have to stay stuck.
Choose something beyond survival mode.
Because life is too short for that.
And it is still good.
Why I’m Careful About What I Bring Into My Home
This isn’t a new shift for me. I’ve dealt with headaches and scent sensitivity for years, so I’ve naturally leaned toward things that don’t overwhelm me. Lately, I’ve just been more aware of sticking with what actually feels good in my own home.
You know how everything this time of year is scented?
Candles that smell like 14 different desserts at once… room sprays that punch you in the face… stores so heavily perfumed your eyes water before you even grab a shopping cart.
My head pounds, my sinuses revolt, and suddenly the “festive ambiance” feels like an assault.
That’s why I naturally lean toward cleaner, non-synthetic things — especially scents. They don’t overwhelm me. They don’t give me that heavy, perfumey fog. They just make my home feel calm and warm without all the extras.
I usually use Young Living's Black Friday sale as a chance to restock the things I already love. It's practical timing for the products I actually use - I often find a gift or stocking stuffer or two as well.
Click here to contact me and I'll fill you in on the Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday sales as I get them.
The Little Things Matter More Than We Realize
If this past year has taught me anything, it’s this:
the little things matter more than we realize.
Choosing what feels good, natural, and grounding in a heavy season is one of the ways I’m practicing intention again.
If you’ve made it to the bottom of this post, I’m guessing something here resonated—whether it’s navigating grief and growth, diving into natural wellness, or just trying to live a more intentional life in a fast-paced world.
This space is where I share what I’m learning (and unlearning), the tools that are helping me along the way, and the little things that bring joy, healing, and clarity—even on the hard days.
This space is where I share what I’m learning (and unlearning), the tools that are helping me along the way, and the little things that bring joy, healing, and clarity—even on the hard days.
Want in?
You’re invited to join my newsletter, Finding What Works—a weekly-ish note from me with practical wellness tips, nostalgic nods for GenX souls, and honest reflections from someone who’s still figuring it all out (but loves sharing the good stuff along the way).
This isn’t about perfection or pressure. It’s about finding what supports us, what lights us up, and what brings us back to ourselves—together.
You’re invited to join my newsletter, Finding What Works—a weekly-ish note from me with practical wellness tips, nostalgic nods for GenX souls, and honest reflections from someone who’s still figuring it all out (but loves sharing the good stuff along the way).
This isn’t about perfection or pressure. It’s about finding what supports us, what lights us up, and what brings us back to ourselves—together.
Click here to subscribe and come along for the ride. I’d love to have you in my corner.
Have a question or something to share?
✨ My blog exists because I know what it feels like to keep everything jumbled in your head — like a messy pile of clothes you can’t sort through.
Writing it all down brings clarity, calm, and sometimes even healing answers I didn’t know I was looking for.
Honestly, that’s why I keep showing up to write — it helps me make sense of things.
Even if you have no intentions of ever publishing your work, I highly recommend writing stuff down. It doesn't have to be a literary masterpiece or even full, grammatically correct sentences... just dump those random thoughts onto paper... you'll see what I mean.
*This blog centers the GenX experience, simply because that’s the lens I live through—but anyone looking for connection, natural wellness, grief support, or a little real-talk in this messy stage of life is more than welcome.
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