Embracing Sadness In The Midst Of Joy

Six weeks before my wedding, my soon to be sister in law passed away. Suddenly and unexpectedly.

She was 39 yrs old and a mother to three wonderful boys.

You can imagine the trauma, devastation, and overwhelm this time brought to the entire family.

The question became, should we go forward with our wedding? How could we do something that was supposed to be filled with joy and cheer when the family was in such deep mourning?

My husband and I talked about it at length. And while it was his older sister who had passed, it was he who insisted we go forward with the wedding.

I was worried that there would be an unshakeable sadness lingering over the day. 

He, on the other hand, felt it was so important to carry on and give his family a reason to celebrate.

But more importantly he felt we must do things that will bring us joy.

Ultimately, he decided to go forward with our wedding.

And, something that took me a long time to understand is that we were both right.

The day was filled with a tremendous amount of joy. We were surrounded by so much love and everyone was so thrilled about our union. There were stunning details to relish in, delicious food and a wonderful celebration.

And also, people were sad and heartbroken.

It was both. And probably everything in between.

And in retrospect, I wonder if the heartbreak made the joy taste all the sweeter.

As we watch what is happening in Ukraine and around the world, we sit in such heartbreak and sadness. Even fear.

And yet, joyful occasions are still happening like babies being born and people falling in love.

Just this past week, I celebrated one of my dearest friends’ 50th birthday. We had such a wonderful time. And, also, her father passed away only a few weeks ago. Joy and sadness.

My friend from Ukraine celebrated her nuptials over the weekend with close friends and family. Joy and sadness.

Joy is important.
Love is important.
Togetherness is important.
Celebrating life is important.

They are especially important in times of challenge and grief.

I’m so grateful my husband pushed us forward with the wedding. It has taught me a lot about the importance of living fully, while we are here.

For all those of you who are currently holding onto many feelings at once, I know it’s not easy. And hopefully, you are able to look for and experience pockets of joy that remind you how wonderful it is to be alive.

Inside The Movement, we have just what you need to support you feel all your feelings and help you celebrate.  Check out these 2 workouts when you join today with our 7-day free trial.

In this video, I take you through a gentle and relaxing sequence that is perfect when you are experiencing a whole range of feelings.

From sadness, to grief, to anxiety, to overwhelm, this video is going to help relax your entire body, still your mind and open your heart. You will feel supported and loved.

Join me for this high energy, high vibe cardio / sculpting workout as we celebrate because we can!  We’re here. We’re alive.  We have come so far.

I send you love, strength and peace. You’re doing a great job.

xo
Erin

P.S. Join The Movement now and get instant access to our full library of content.  That’s 100+ workouts, meditations, my signature Soul Strolls, coaching, and so much more!