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20 Nov

Navigating the Holidays & Grief

The holiday season, a time that once sparkled with festive lights and joyous melodies, can cast a shadow on those who still carry the weight of grief. For those who have lost a loved one like me, the season’s cheer often intertwines with the unsettling reminder of their absence. How do we navigate the grief during the holidays and rediscover moments of joy amidst the sorrow? Acknowledging the Pain First and foremost, it’s crucial to acknowledge the pain. Grief is not a...

06 Nov

Healing Through Reiki: A Grief Journey After Samaad’s Homicide

Losing a loved one is a pain that is both unique and universal. It tears through the fabric of your life, leaving behind an emptiness that seems impossible to fill. For me, the loss of my middle son, Samaad, to a tragic homicide on December 31, 2019, was a devastating blow that shook my world to its core. In those early days of grief, the pain was all-consuming. It was a struggle just to get out of bed in the morning,...

23 Sep

19 Years & A Casket

After all I’ve done for my son all I get is a CASKET!? Don’t say that Kim! Don’t say that! You got this and that and time and blah blah blah! Yes I did get all of that. But I poured my time, my money, my heart and soul into my child and all I got after 19 years is a casket… A lifeless body buried in the ground way before his time… With all of the money I spent on trainings, gear, workouts,...

26 Jul

Right the Wrongs When Gone

How do you right the wrongs once they’re gone? If I only had more time… Have you ever said that? Have you ever felt that time was too short with your loved one? When one dies we are left with the thoughts of what we could have and should have done. We are left with the thoughts of what we feel that we did wrong. We are left with the thoughts of what we could have done better. We are left with the thoughts...

24 Jul

Healing Through Pain & Guilt

Pain & Guilt– As the shock wears off, it is replaced with the suffering of unbelievable pain. Although excruciating and almost unbearable, it is important that you experience the pain fully, and not hide it, avoid it or escape from it with alcohol or drugs. The pain of burying a child is the worst pain a human can experience. We all have expectations to live long lives. But, it’s impossible to know when you will experience death. For me, the pain of...

10 Jul

There’s Strength in Vulnerability

When you think of being vulnerable what comes to mind? Does Weakness come to mind? The truth is you have to be vulnerable to build strength. To build strength you have to have courage. Vulnerability is a strength because it allows you to open yourself up to others and experience life more fully. Being vulnerable is being courageous about what is happening with you emotionally at the moment. Vulnerable definition: to choose to be authentic and show our true selves, despite facing...

10 Jul

The Grief Process 101

Grief is an experience that most everyone encounters at some point in life. It can come in various forms, such as loss of a loved one, loss of a job, change or loss of a relationship, moving to a new location or when a serious illness occurs. Experiencing grief is totally natural. Experiencing unresolved grief can lead to unhealthy behaviors. Learning to identify the stages of grief and ways to cope through each is a great way to begin the...

02 Jul

No Emotions, Just Reality

It’s difficult to take your emotions out of situations and deal with what is right in your face. That means you have to hold yourself accountable for everything you experienced in that moment. Over the years I’ve learned to take my emotions out of everything especially when it comes to making decisions, listening to people, and having compassion for other people’s situations. When you feel that things should go a certain way that’s your opinion not a fact. Granted, we all...

24 Jun

LOVE & Death

What is love? “Love is a set of emotions and behaviors characterized by intimacy, passion, and commitment. It involves care, closeness, protectiveness, attraction, affection, and trust.” Grief requires LOVE. The love you show yourself when dealing with the loss of a loved one, the love from others who also loved your loved one and the love from those who didn’t know your loved one but who Love You. There’s a difference between death and grief. Death is an experience of life, grief is...

24 Jun

Death is an Experience

When death happens we often associate it with an emotion, but death is actually an experience. An experience that will happen to each of us. An experience that is apart of living, and an experience that is the inevitable. To accept life, you have to accept that death will happen to you. Fact is, we live to die. Every day you continue to live you are actually dying. Every death is a different experience. A death from sickness allows you to...

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