Today we are talking about a vulnerable topic that we’ve either gone through, or are afraid to go through.
Grief.
Grief doesn’t always have to be about losing a loved one though. As a mother, I grieved for YEARS the loss of my previous life and the woman I was. Trying so hard to stay present, grateful and look forward to the woman I was becoming. But I missed my past world and I couldn’t move forward.
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts here: Episode 17 with Amber Kuipers
Listen on Spotify: Episode 17 with Amber Kuipers
Amber has an incredibly difficult story about losing her father at a young age and how she felt stuck in her grief as well. I loved her children’s story, “When Grey Came to Stay” about honoring one’s grief and how although it may never go away, there are ways to work with it and move towards the light. I also believe that keeping that person, memory, experience, or past identity close to your heart is actually healthy- to not ignore or be afraid to remember it simply because it’s not physically with you in the present moment.
We hope you enjoy today’s episode and how you can allow grief to be a part of you, thrive with it, honor what you’re grieving, but also move forward in your life. Please share this episode with anyone special in your life, and we thank you for listening.
Get to know Amber more…
Amber lives with her family in a small town in Ontario with her amazing husband, 2 dogs and 3 wonderful, crazy and wild children. She’s not your Pinterest worthy mom, she’s a proud introvert and would do life outside if she could. Except when it’s cold! Amber’s dad was killed in a farming accident when she was 17 and she attempted to navigate this insane world of grief ever since. This year she finally had enough of being frustrated with grief resources and wrote a children’s book about grief based on her own experience. It’s been a vulnerable and slightly terrifying journey but Amber has absolutely loved working towards a more grief inclusive society. She also recently just launched her own line of sympathy cards.
You can get to know more about Amber on her website, and purchase your copy of “When Grey Came to Stay” here: www.amberskuipers.com
You can also find her on Instagram (@amberskuipers) where she shares more of her daily life with grief but also her crazy life as a mom.
Amber’s sympathy cards will be available shortly but for now they are for purchase at JustOne, an incredible little store in Caledonia.
Today’s Mom Card: “Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” -Ella Fitzgerald
Amber’s Favorite Things: Dill Pickle Peanuts from Costco (I can’t wait to see if my Costco has these!!!)
Amber’s Favorite Podcast: “Good Morning Podcast” and “The Body Keeps Score”