One of the ways I have transitioned my grief is through the process of being more mindful about my thoughts. Earlier on my journey, I would let grief swallow me up to where I’d end up in a puddle of tears, choking on my grief. I was a mess. All the crying and sorrow kept me from seeing the light right in front of me. It was like a shroud had engulfed me and I couldn’t see my way out it.

When I began to spend more time writing my thoughts down in a journal, I found I could sort them out better. From there I found I could see my grief, my thoughts, and my feelings differently. Being mindful about why I felt a certain way created a space to redirect my grief and to channel it into something that could be a vessel of change. Sometimes it felt like I was wrestling some of those thoughts and feelings to the ground because they were so big and painful. The beautiful gift that can come from mindfulness is the shift in focus from the pain of my daughter’s death to honoring my daughter’s life. That was profound and life-changing for me. It can be for you, too.