After working in the grief industry as a hobbyist cremation jeweler for 8 years and then full-time for almost 2, I've finally reached a point where I am ready to go deeper with this journey. It is tough to write about my own loss and be publicly vulnerable, but it would be valuable if I could fill a need I see out there by changing how we cope with death in this society. I have struggled with anxiety and depression all of my life. For me, life has been mostly about pain. I hate saying that out loud, and I also recognize that through the lens of depression, the focus is often on the negative. I sometimes work to exhaustion daily to change my lens and be grateful for happy memories, find joy, and change my outlook on life. I vow to never take these things for granted with my family and my friends, my cats, and a home.
But it is time to share my story. It seems that my inescapable destiny is to work with the grieving community, and there are far too few doing it. It is overlooked and shoved down as something people need to accept and get over. Death. Death! We all die, so I say it is time to stop glossing over this fact and recognize its pain, depth, and complicated sorrow. How it can destroy a person to the core. Because if we look that in the face, for once, truly look, we see we have no choice but to rebuild into a new person. A person with canyons of deep scars and wounds still healing, but a new person who is also more loving, more grateful, and more connected to the fundamental core of existence that strings between all living things like the roots of a glorious tree. This blog will be a journey into my path as a griever and how maintaining a connection with the dead keeps me alive.
Please sign up for email updates if you are interested in hearing more and supporting my upcoming book. Thank you. And as always, I send overwhelming gratitude and love to my customers and all those who find themselves suddenly in the throes of learning to live without the one person or fur friend they thought they could never live without.
1 comment
Hi Heather,
I reached out to you through Queen Collective. I recently lost my mother who I know was my soul mate and am supporting my 90 year old father (he lives with me) who lost his soul mate after 64 years of marriage. Our hearts are shattered and looking forward to more blog posts and/or your book. Incidentally, I also lost my brother right at the beginning of covid when our world was shut down so was not able to travel to honor him they way I wanted. Also lost my dog a month prior to losing my mother and we just lost our family kitty. Needless to say I’m overwhelmed with so many losses. Wanted you to know we are fellow resin artists, I haven’t done any cremation jewelry but created a special piece of art with my brother’s ashes for my sister-in-law. So very nice to connect with you! xo Robyn