Holidays have so much meaning, so many stories, memories of past ~ the good, the bad, and the ugly, the anticipation of joy, of newness ... and of loss and grief.  It all has a place, if we know how to hold space for it, to hold ourselves in caring, to hold on, to hold on to our intention to choose life and love.  

Here are two supports for you to consider gratitude AND to care for your grief ~ two sides of the coin.  For that is how it is, both sides exist.  I hope they help you to navigate back and forth so it's not such a bumpy ride.  

How Practicing Gratitude Can Help In Your Hardest Moments: 
https://www.dailymotivation.site/how-practicing-gratitude-can-help-you-in-your-hardest-moments/

“In the face of demoralization, gratitude has the power to energize. In the face of brokenness, gratitude has the power to heal. In the face of despair, gratitude has the power to bring hope. In other words, gratitude can help us cope with hard times.”  Dr. Robert Emmons 

Grief and The Holidays - Dealing with The Pain:  https://grief.com/grief-the-holidays/

You're never alone.  You're always with your thoughts at the very least.  So take a look at the above resources that can provoke your thoughts towards healing, and know that so many of us are with you!  

Happy Thanksgiving AND I'm holding space for my own and YOUR grief too!  For now, let's come back to finding the specific things for which to be thankful.  You, your life, your wisdom, your resilience, look further ... look further.  Together we can and we will because we are trying.  In that trying, you're a rock star!  

Thank you for YOU!  

Wishing you Peace,

Joanne Richards

For more inspiration ~ I invite you to download a free guide that can help you re-focus and re-connect with your best intentions that can help both you and your child.  Just click here for your copy: "How to Get Clear on Next Steps when Your Child Struggles with Substance Use".  

There are times I've been consumed by fear, by worry, by depression - the on the floor, in bed kind when I can barely summon the energy to rise.  Like when my son calls in a meth psychosis, raging, homeless, hangs up, no phone and I have no idea where he is. 

If you've ever loved a child struggling with substance abuse, my guess is you understand, and maybe have been there too? 

And still somehow we rise.  We rise over time.  Somehow.  But, I don't want to stay there any longer than is absolutely necessary to grieve, to get up, to choose life again.  

Here's what helps me (and so many others thankfully). A Prescription for Peace:  Questioning my thoughts, my fears.  Opening my mind, getting into my heart and wisdom's guidance.  I have it.  You have it.  Then I apply some of the best family recovery tools and methods I've learned. 

Please register here: 
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrfu2sqTIvGtHh-_wu_HGkuyfCYXpa0jSf 

So I invite you to do the same, with me.  November 18 is the day. (There will be another in December).  It's my gift to you for the next two months, and yes that means free, no obligation.  Why?  Because it is just not ok that we walk around like ghosts, scaring ourselves believing our fears over and over and over.  This is what spills over, and I know we don't want that.  We don't want that probably more than we don't want to experience it in the first place.

I really hope you can join me.  And please do invite anyone and everyone who might also benefit from moving from fear to peace, through a deeper understanding of how our thoughts can bring us down a dark rabbit hole.  Just share the link and/or this email, and thank you.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrfu2sqTIvGtHh-_wu_HGkuyfCYXpa0jSf 

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This is a way out.  How do I know?  I do this frequently.  I share it frequently.  It is reliable, it is deep, it works for me, for hundreds I've worked with, and for thousands and thousands throughout the world.  I think it can work for you too!

Please register in advance.  I'll send you reminders closer to the date.  I'm pretty sure we need no reminders of how hard this path is, and how hard it might be to find peace.  I hope to make it easier for you.  

Love wins here!

Please register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrfu2sqTIvGtHh-_wu_HGkuyfCYXpa0jSf 

May you know more peace, for you and your family, with love

Joanne

Ps.  Do you know someone who may enjoy reading my monthly newsletter, Love wins!?  New friends can join our Love wins! community by clicking here. 

Pps.  Again, to register for Nov 18 Prescription for Peace, just click here. 

Ppps.   Here's another gift, a guide for you to download so you can re-focus and re-connect to your best intentions to help you and your child.  Jus click here: "How to Get Clear on Next Steps when Your Child Struggles with Substance Use".  
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