Learning About Grief

Happy Pub Day!

You don’t have to keep doing and being everything you were before loss came crashing into your life. Grief is heavy, and sometimes, taking care of yourself means stepping away from the roles others have come to expect you to fill. The Identity Reset book guides you through this.

@afrosypaella I love this idea. Good for you.

I fully intend to have a registry for my upcoming 40th birthday. My 30s brought so much death + pain. Going into a new era & new decade I will make it plain how I want to be supported and celebrated.

Grief changes how we show up. It doesn’t change our worth. Some people won’t know how to love us there and that’s painful. But it never means we are too much or not enough.

the more you increase your emotional intelligence, the less you'll take things personally because you'll realize that most people aren't reacting to you, they're reacting to their own past, their own fears, their own struggles, their own bad days

Please don't compare your grief to someone else's. Everyone has a different journey, personal biology, resources, and support available to them to get through their loss. Grief isn't a competition. Trust that you're doing the best you can.

My mother died in an unexpected accident at her home on Friday night in Baltimore. I want to take a brief moment to honor her life. She was admitted into the first ever female class at John’s Hopkins (a huge accomplishment, because before that, it was men only). She ran a private eye surgery practice for years. She went to Africa multiple times to operate on entire villages to literally heal the blind. She helped anyone who didn’t have money - despite never having much of her own. She gave her life to Christ when she was 42, and never looked back. She lived in God’s grace. For the few who knew her, you know she was incredibly intelligent, kind, and unyielding in her faith and values. She also loved me fiercely despite her difficulty showing it. But she was always proud. Always available. Always genuine. And truly did not care what anyone thought besides Jesus. Also… She was a great stay at home movie date. We’d get double features on the weekends. And I’d get to pick one candy. She was a great cook and liberal with her use of butter. I only found out as an adult that the proper way to make Mac n cheese was not simply “melt a stick of butter then add noodles & powder.” This method also applied to eggs, steak, most other things worth eating. She could hold her liquor like a champ and was always down for a good time. On her good days - she was honestly wonderful to be around. That being said, she was also a terrible driver. She was disorganized, clumsy, could not remember where she put her keys, wallet, phone, shoes or whatever she was looking for - ever. And she’d argue about anything. And that was Florence. No matter what you thought of her, she was consistent. And she bent for no one. Florence was a ball of goodness that struggled to deal with the world around her. She suffered her own demons. And near the end was in great mental and physical pain. Now that she has passed, her pain has ended. And she can finally reunite with her Creator. I hope her worldview is right and she is welcomed home in His arms with a message we’d all want: “well done my good and faithful servant.” Maman, I will miss you.

Just a reminder that if you are a parent, your children should not be your safe space. Enlisting your children to be your emotional caretaker is emotional neglect. And some consider that to be abuse.

@JonGordon11 @editor_Ashante Huge congratulations to you!

I’m excited to share that my new book, The 7 Commitments of a Great Team has debuted as an instant national bestseller! It hit #2 on the Business Bestseller lists for USA TODAY, Barnes & Noble, and BookScan… and reached #1 on Amazon in Leadership & Motivation. This doesn’t happen without people like YOU. I’m incredibly grateful for your support. Beyond the bestseller lists, what’s even more meaningful is seeing the reviews from readers who loved the book. If you’ve already purchased a copy (or copies for your team), THANK YOU. If not, I hope you’ll grab one today for yourself and copies for your team (it’s best when you read it together). It’s available at Amazon and everywhere books are sold. This marks my 18th bestseller and honestly, I still can’t believe it. Especially considering how many times I was rejected early on as an author. It’s a powerful reminder: Never give up on the dreams.  It may not be easy but it will be worth it. THANK YOU! Click here to get your copy! jongordon.com/book/7-commitm…

“Have a beautiful, wonderful Mother’s Day if it is a holiday that brings you joy, but just be conscious that for many, many people, it isn’t. Proceed according. Deal?” ~@ANNELAMOTT

@editor_Ashante @JessicaCabeen This is exciting news

@JessicaCabeen Thanks! Also, we’ve expanded into women’s health. Some great books dropping on perimenopause, stress, infertility, hormones x gut health.

That’s a wrap on the fiscal year!🥳Exciting projects coming on stress mgt ▪ racism in healthcare ▪ classroom mgmt ▪ AI for principals ▪ personal growth, etc. Hit USA Today and L.A. Times bestseller lists Books picked up for audio and translated into half dozen languages

@KarenWidow "But neither does love." So beautiful, Karen.

Family days can be a mix of emotions. There’s the joy of being together, but also the quiet ache of who’s missing. These days used to feel effortless—now they take a little more intention, a little more strength. Grief doesn’t take a day off, but neither does love. 💛

Missing my Mom this morning and somehow in cleaning I stumbled across several funeral programs for my family in Alabama? Like…there’s a funeral program for a relative that was born in 1905 in Alabama. Do you know what a genealogical goldmine this is? 🥹

A bit of comfort goes a long way.

@estherkhaddad 💙😭

Mona it is so so painful to wake up and realize you are never again. Even more painful how you were mistreated. May God give those who harmed you the punishment they deserve. You were my heart beating outside my body. My beautiful baby, whom I carried, gave birth to, whose body I grew with so much love together with Dady and my family. I will always love you Mona, forever. #grief #justice4mona #OwenscottmuirMD #carlenemac

@Learnaboutgrief The first new year without my mother was the hardest because it was the first one in my lifetime that my mother never got to see a day of. Hugs to those going through that first now.

One emotion doesn't cancel out another. The human mind and body are equipped to tenderly hold both.

@RichardLBelford This is profound and beautifully spoken.

This makes grief one of society’s most misunderstood and profoundly difficult experiences that cannot be resolved by closure if there's even such a thing, but by the slow measure of acceptance that only the passage of time and words of comfort can provide.

In this life people often leave or are left wishing they had just five more minutes and even the magic of Christmas or the promise of a new year cannot give those who grieve what they would truly love.

Meeting people where they are is such a beautiful way to express that you see them, accept them, and care.