LIVING REAL BLOG

For the ones grieving someone who's still here

You only know what kind of story yours is when you know the ending.

I know mine is a love story.

Two weeks ago, I wrote about responding differently to my dad at Thanksgiving—choosing presence over performance, saying "quality not quantity" instead o...

I’ve learned over time that I don’t really choose my Word of the Year.

It chooses me.

Only later do I understand why.

This practice has become a quiet tradition for me — one that invites reflection instead of resolution, meaning instead of measurement. And when I look back at the words that have ...

The Art of Loosening Your Grip

Last week, I shared about a moment with my dad that used to break me — and didn’t.

Not because it wasn’t tender.
Not because it didn’t matter.
But because I didn’t react from the old place.

That moment was evidence of something I’ve been learning all year — somethin...

The Moment That Used to Break Me

I'm writing this from the Oregon coast, watching seagulls play in the wind. I'm in a completely different space than when I wrote what follows - lighter, more present, grateful.

But this story from Thanksgiving is still true. And the lesson still matters.

Sometime...

Some years, the holidays arrive with sparkle and ease. Some years, they arrive with a weight you didn’t plan for.

This year, mine arrived quietly — and with loss.

My childhood friend Matthew died on December 4.
We met in third grade — two kids who understood each other long before either of us real...

A real look at holiday spending, obligation, and the one thing I bought.

For the last couple of months, I’ve been paying close attention to my spending. Not restricting — just noticing.

Noticing what I reach for, what I tell myself I “need,” and what all the holiday noise tries to convince me I’m ...

Because the only honest place to begin is the place you’re actually standing.

I’m starting this series from the exact middle of my life — not the polished version. Not the “all cleaned up and figured out” version. Just the real one.

The one where caregiving still echoes in familiar places.
Where g...

How friendship becomes a lifeline in real-life seasons.

This past month, I’ve been reflecting on something powerful: my tribe.

It started in August, right after we celebrated my mom’s life one year after her passing. I felt a shift — almost like her spirit was nudging me to reconnect, to show up, ...

A year of grief, truth, unexpected grace, and returning to myself.

I didn’t know what this year would look like — I only knew it would hurt.

There’s a kind of silence that shows up when someone you love is gone. Not just in the room, but in your bones. I’ve learned that grief isn’t linear, polite,...