Healing Through 'The Holidays' eBook

The holidays can be hard. I know, because for years they were excruciating for me. Within just under seven years, I lived through the death of my son Gavin (only 26 minutes after birth), two miscarriages, two complicated but successful pregnancies, suicidal ideation, a six-week psychiatric stay for severe depression, and one final pregnancy, six weeks before my youngest was born, the discovery that my husband and best friend were having an affair. Grief, betrayal, exhaustion, and confusion made the holidays feel unbearable. Everywhere I looked, the world shouted “joy” while I felt like I was drowning in pain, despite the smile plastered on my face. Traditions felt heavy, gatherings overwhelming, and even the simplest seasonal moments felt impossible, at times. And yet—over time, through small steps and steady healing—I found ways to breathe again. I learned to ask for help, to set boundaries, to take care of myself, to bend with change, and ultimately, to let go of what no longer served me. In decades of working and connecting with thousands of people, I’ve seen the same struggles repeat themselves. That’s why I knew Healing Through ‘The Holidays’ had to be written. These five areas—asking for help, self-care, boundaries, flexibility, and letting go—are universal points of pain and possibility. This eBook is my way of passing forward the lessons I’ve lived and the wisdom I’ve witnessed: you are not alone, and healing—even in the hardest seasons—is possible.