Simplify, simplify, simplify! Henry David Thoreau (on doing the hard part)
We all get gut-punched at some point—an unplanned, unwanted event that splits life into before and after. First, face the fact that it’s over. When my kids left home and the house went quiet, I had to admit that a season of my life was done. When I chose sobriety, I had to accept that my old coping mechanisms were finished too. Sometimes it’s intentional. Sometimes it blindsides us. Either way, it breaks from the past.
Every crisis is the ending of something—an identity, a relationship, a dream, a version of ourselves we thought would last. The trouble begins when we refuse to let it end. We cling to what was, replay the story, resist the loss. We stall in denial, stuck in yesterday.
There’s a roadmap through the wreckage:
First, acknowledge the ending. Face it head on.
Second, move through the emotional aftermath—the grief, anger, confusion. All of it.
This allows space for a new beginning.
This is an internal process. No one can do it for us. If we don’t work through the emotional bath of loss, we remain trapped in it.
But if we let it end—fully, honestly—we create room to rebuild.
Endings feel like devastation. But when we let them be endings, they become beginnings in disguise. The only way out is through.
The Anatomy of a Transition_eBook (from the Modern Elder Academy)
Other Wellbeing Ideas
A Gem from Carl Jung on Keeping one’s House in Order
From my very favorite Jungian therapist and author, James Hollis
Movie that’s stayed with me for days
Eternity moved me, as it reminded me that even as generations change, the human longing for connection and meaning endures…. and how important it is to love the life we have. Streaming on Apple TV.
12 Distractions to Leave Behind in 2026
My favorite? A to-do list that never meets a calendar
Erich Fromm, Summary on LOVE
Stay Well, Eileen
Love this pearl and being reminded of the book The Art of Love. Having our house in order usually means doing some repair, cleaning and organizing. All needing to be done constantly.
Last year our family traditional Christmas ended. Kids married, parents gone, etc. As a single, this was really hard for me. I don’t have in-law family to suppliment our family. I did a series of individual christmases with each family grouping. It was reasonable and mostly fun. Cannot lie, I was blue on Christmas Eve, our traditional celebration. But moved pass it.
The holidays can be so charged …. and so hard to let go of traditions and expectations. Nice going on this one…the series of visits is creative.