How grief, burnout, and one heartless comment cracked me open—and led me back to myself.
There are moments that change everything—not with fanfare, but with quiet devastation.
For me, it all came crashing down over just two months.
We had adopted a blind rescue dog—sweet, gentle, and vulnerable. Just six months later, she went into cardiac arrest. I gave her mouth-to-mouth, desperately trying to bring her back. But I couldn’t save her.
Shortly after, we learned that my mom had cancer. Again. Her third diagnosis. She would need surgery. I was scared and bracing for impact.
Then came the table saw accident. My husband, working in our garage, had the safety off. He cut three of his fingers and broke two. Our nephew drove him to the ER. I left work to meet them.
And then—our 17-year-old dachshund, who we had raised since he was 8 weeks old, suffered a terrible seizure. We had to make the decision no pet parent wants to make. Letting him go broke us.
All of this happened in under 60 days.
I was drowning in grief, stress, and exhaustion. My body hurt. My brain was foggy. My spirit was cracked.
I showed up at work every day trying to hold it together. I told my boss I needed grace. Just some understanding. A moment to breathe.
She noticed I was struggling. After a call with a client one day, she asked how I was doing. I said, “I’m okay, all things considered.”
Her response?
“I need consistency.”
I actually laughed. “Yeah, me too,” I said. I thought she was joking.
She wasn’t.
She offered me one day off a week. Said it might help. What I heard was: Schedule your emergencies. Keep your chaos contained. Don’t let your grief interfere.
I told her: “I can’t give you what you want.”
And I meant it.
The next week, I handed in my resignation. I gave three weeks’ notice to help with the transition. She chose to bring back the paralegal I had replaced, which made sense.
The day after that new person started, I went with my mom to her surgical appointment.
While I was sitting with her, supporting her, I got a text. From my boss.
“You don’t need to come back. You’re no longer needed.”
Just like that. No goodbye. No closure. No chance to see my coworkers or the office dog I loved so much.
She thought she was doing me a favor. But it felt like betrayal.
That Was the Day Everything Changed
It was cruel. It was heartbreaking. But it was also the crack that let the light in.
That day marked the beginning of something new:
– A commitment to myself
– A refusal to keep sacrificing my wellbeing for roles that drained me
– A slow, sacred journey to heal, reclaim, and thrive
– A commitment to myself
– A refusal to keep sacrificing my wellbeing for roles that drained me
– A slow, sacred journey to heal, reclaim, and thrive
I didn’t know what was next, but I knew I couldn’t keep living like that.
If You’re in That Place Too…
You’re not alone.
You don’t have to schedule your suffering.
You don’t have to prove your worth by breaking yourself to be everything for everyone.
You don’t have to schedule your suffering.
You don’t have to prove your worth by breaking yourself to be everything for everyone.
If you're ready to begin healing—on your own terms—I invite you to take one small step.
💛 Download my free Sacred Pause Meditation and reconnect to your breath, your body, and your worth.