July 20 2020

In my home, I’m often suggesting rituals to family members to help with grief, loss and transitions. A common ritual I suggest is to write down on a piece of paper what is bothering them and then go outside and burn it to help find some release. I’ll never forget when we dropped our daughter off at college in Orlando and began our drive back to Pennsylvania. As we began to approach a bridge, my husband and I held hands and recognized that we were leaving behind a life we had known for 20 years. We acknowledged the love and sadness we felt. While descending on the other side, we recognized the hope and curiosity we felt as we looked forward to our new way of being. I often returned to those moments as a reminder of our commitment together and to another stage of our life. The ritual helped us move forward.