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Hi All,

This is going to be a weird one. I have so many feelings and so much to share, so this email may feel like an overshare if you're new here—or even revelatory if you've been following along for a while. I certainly feel a sense of awe for all I’ve walked through in the past few weeks... because life sure is life-ing.
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I want to talk about three themes today:

• Staying present when sh*t hits the fan
• What it means to grieve
• Mental health and what we make it mean (full story in the next email)

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​When Sh*t Hits the Fan

About three weeks ago, our daughter had a major health scare. Tomorrow is actually her follow-up with a specialist to ensure she's really OK—which I am hopeful she is. Until then, I’m both not worried and yet have been consumed with worry ever since that Monday morning ambulance ride that led to tomorrow’s appointment. Even in the chaos and absolute terror of that moment—watching my almost 18-year-old collapse in my arms, eyes wide open and unresponsive—I kept my cool. I called 911, ran point in the ER and then the pediatric unit at two hospitals, got my car relocated while riding in the ambulance, and even managed to squeeze in a Melissa Wood Health workout while waiting for test results. I kid you not!

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What’s the point? If I hadn't stayed present, I wouldn’t have been able to:

• Keep calm enough to get the help we needed as fast as we got it
• Pack a bag, call the wasband, contact school, and ride in the ambulance
• Support my scared and stressed kid, all while managing a LOT during her senior year
• Step out for a walk and grab sushi for us—because food is love
• Be the absolute conductor of the hospital experience, including getting my car transferred to the hospital we were moving to so I could ride in the second ambo ride with my girl
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What It Means to Grieve

I’m sure you’re no stranger to grief. It comes in many forms, some I couldn’t name until reading Francis Weller’s book The Wild Edge of Sorrow. Right now, I am experiencing what he calls The First Gate of Grief: everything we love, we will lose. Oof. That one hits hard.
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The picture above says all I need to say about everything I love. My dad was my everything. If you don’t know anything about him, please read about this great man who helped shape the woman I am proud to be. I cannot believe it’s already been a week since I held his hand as he took his last breath—a beautiful death, my mother lying at his side. And yet, it feels like years since we last talked. I will forever feel untethered in this wild world, yet I know he left me with everything I need to figure it out.

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Mental Health and What We Make It Mean

Suffice it to say, many of us have something. Unseen illnesses, hidden traumas, mental health stuff, etc. What I didn’t know was that, despite finally finding the right help (so I thought) in 2022 which named what I imagined might going on with me, my treatment and diagnosis were completely incorrect—and, in fact, exacerbated by the medication that was intended to help me. While I could be consumed by my new diagnosis (read the next email for the details), I am not. And? It changes not a damn thing about who I am or how capable I am of being and doing all that I do in this world. It also doesn't change my back story, my childhood and/or anything else about me and my life. Do you know why? We are not our stories, we are not the things that happen to us and we most certainly are not our diagnosis.
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FUN ALERT: The JOYHeals Initiative & Retreat

I wrote my first book! It’s an interactive workbook called The JOYHeals Initiative, and it will be printed in a very small, limited quantity for those attending my Joy Reboot Retreat in June (plus the extras avail online). Click here if that excites you and you’d like to get on the list to learn more. I’m creating the sales page this week and will send out details to the waitlist by the first full week of April. Sorry, guys—this one is ladies only!

That’s been my last three weeks—how’s yours been? No, really. I’d love to know if you feel compelled to share. Reach out via DM on Instagram, or connect on a discovery call if you think coaching could be supportive. I have a few open 1:1 spots and just lowered my prices back to 2024 rates because the world is on fire, and I want to help as many folks as I can. Click here to book a call if that feels supportive.
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What I want you to know is that it has taken practice to become this zen in times of crisis, loss, and uncertainty. My healing journey has included many modalities—therapy, coaching, and, as you may have seen on social media, now weightlifting, sauna, and cold plunges too! As I continue to expand my repertoire, I am 100% committed to joy as the predominant tool for facing life’s most difficult times.
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We cannot escape our own humanity. The world is chaotic, and the news is wrought with cruelty, division, and hate. I cannot think of a time when the world has needed joy more—and I’m pretty sure you may agree.

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Here’s to chasing joy, even when life is life-ing. I see you. I am you. We’re in this together.
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Talk soon, with love, heartache, hope, and joy,

xo Gabrielle

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