I'll never forget where I was standing when my brother Mark called to tell me that my brother Gary had been killed in a car accident.

I was brushing my teeth, looking in the mirror. My knees went weak. I had to sit down because I thought I might be sick. I was already scheduled to fly home to Michigan that day for a friend's birthday. Instead, I boarded a plane to help my family bury my brother.

Gary was the oldest of five children, and I was the youngest. He was my mentor, my confidant, and one of my favorite people. Like many families, we did the best we could. We planned the funeral, handled the details, took care of one another, and kept moving forward. I stayed busy helping everyone else while quietly carrying my own heartbreak.

For years, I replayed the accident, the "what ifs," and all the moments that would never happen, the weddings, holidays, vacations, and phone calls I still found myself wanting to make.

Over the years, I experienced many other losses as well. Some expected, some sudden, some visible, and some that few people ever knew about. I often wish I had found the Grief Recovery Method much earlier in my life. Becoming a Certified Grief Recovery Method Specialist taught me that grief isn't something we simply get over. We can learn how to carry it differently. The work helped me lighten my own invisible backpack, making room for more peace, more connection, and more joy.

Today, it is my privilege to walk alongside others during some of the hardest seasons of their lives. Having sat beside loved ones in hospice, experienced my own losses, and completed my own grief recovery work, I understand how heavy grief can feel. My hope is to offer you a safe place to set some of that weight down and begin moving forward, carrying more love than pain.