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I’m Back! (+ Rite of Passage)… (video)

It’s been 17 months living in Paris! Bonjour again! I’ve missed you!

But I’m now fully planted. The business is planted. And I’m loving empty nesting inside expat life (our dream).

I’m so excited to be connecting anew! (see video above xo)

Some things I didn’t share in the video that I’m also excited to connect on that might resonate with you, too…

Ah, in the brisk and beautiful woods an hour away from Paris, I just finished leading for myself another rite of passage marking this most recent and big milestone of having an adult child (acknowledging and celebrating what was and also pausing to acknowledge what I’m now letting IN as the woman I am today, so very different in many ways to the woman I was just a year ago)…you too? Do you also have teenagers in high school or young adult children? Is this time of life bringing up a lot of emotion (grief) and maybe, just maybe, you’re inching towards planning for YOUR new life and refreshed work in the world? It’s the same for many of us in this life stage.

Talk about a new version of identity work… And that’s what I’ve been doing here with clients in Paris, as well as with
clients back in the United States.

This week, I also held a women’s circle at my apartment in the Marais (are you familiar with that neighborhood here?), that focused on a similar topic for women in midlife, we called it Life Quest: Rediscovering Who You Are Today & What’s Next.

Being in the NEW of this season of life, like many of you, it absolutely has brought up a lot of emotion, but the clarity has poured in as well — it’s been both a beautiful slowing down and a very steady ramping up, too, into new parts of life, relationship, and creative work.

The main questions I’ve been asking myself, What do I need to feel nourished? What am I grieving? And what am I celebrating, especially in my role of “mama” from 0 to 19? What is next? This was a lot of what my rite of passage was about and it was just what the doc ordered…

What do YOU, too, need to feel nourished? And who are YOU today in this new season of life. Or, maybe, best to ask first ~ what are you, too, grieving and what are you celebrating from your own role as mom of younger child/ren who are now spreading their wings…

But really, c’est la vie, no? The duality!

In short, I’ve missed connecting with you, but I’m SO happy to be back to share and I hope it is all of service!

I would LOVE to hear from you, so please reply and say hi if any of this resonates! I’m also munching on the idea of hosting rites of passage for you here across the pond. Come and join us? 🇫🇷

To the best of the rest of your life!

The Anonymity Of Living Abroad

We love the anonymity that comes with moving and living abroad (feels like a luxury). We loved it in Amsterdam, too. We can do goofy things on the street, reinvent in whatever way feels genuine, personally or professionally, and there’s little external noise (except for Parisian police cars or dance parties popping up around town).

On the topic of reinvention—how are you ready to reinvent either personally or professionally?

Let’s make happiness your business by creating your authentic brand…

To the best of the rest of your life!

Life is good.

New Us

Josh and I have had as much fun living in Paris the last nine months as we’ve had sharing on the @hesaidshesaidchannel (on IG) the last few months!

To us, challenging what it means to be in long-term relationship (the tagline of our project) means enjoying the comfort we feel together after 26 years, while also finding new things, on the daily, to romanticize and be wide-eyed (constantly learning) about.

But it’s not ‘new city, new us’, it’s new us, new us! Because you can’t wait for the new city, you gotta expect it from the depths of each of yourselves.

Life projects throughout the years, like the he said, she said channel, have done that for us. We engage a new project every two or three years and it keeps us creating and re-lating.

It genuinely feels like one of the secrets to the fun and love in our marriage, yet it’s not really a secret because we like to share from it (and about it) every chance we get.

What life project might you want to start?

Let’s make happiness your business by creating your authentic brand…

To the best of the rest of your life!

Life is good.

What Grief Taught Me

I recently took a walk down memory lane regarding what I’ve learned over the last decade about grief, since losing my mother and brother —hi to my public healing, remembrance and celebration journal.

This month was the 11th anniversary of my brother, Dino’s passing (this was also the day we lost my Mom…she died of a broken heart almost exactly two years later). This death anniversary fell on Mother’s Day, which was the holiday it fell on 11 years ago.

I threw myself even more at life in losing theirs.

Grief grew me up…

What it taught me:

I don’t need it to be sunny all the time!

Grief gave me a slew of answers to many things, not the least of which was that seasons don’t just happen outside, but inside too.

Grief doesn’t just go away, it needs your full participation. Just like you feel you need the person who’s no longer here, grief needs you, too.

Treat the very next person you’re with — stranger or someone familiar — as if they’re the very person you’ve lost.

Give from your pain. I gave the compliment, I spent the quality time, I even went on what I called The Friendship Experiment over a year to visit with friends I had lost touch with…And I traveled to Greece to help Syrian refugees, I created events to empower women and started the Greater Good Parties in LA. I also started prison reform work and did other talks and a podcast alongside Josh. Also, I also worked for a year and a half at Hospice with a few elderly moms whose children lived too far away to be with them during their final days.

Love fiercely and.spend.the.time! Go for no regrets. Plus— family first.

I told Josh after a year after having lost them that I had no regrets. Our love had been lived out in the open and we enjoyed each other endlessly. The love I gave them felt free and constant and I don’t doubt they knew how much I cared for them. It was and still is a healing balm for me. So, dance, travel to them, tell them how much they mean to you, be goofy, be warm, stay affectionate and throw all the parties!

What more could I want other than no regrets?

Ultimately what grief taught me: love.
And, what they taught me: love.

It always comes back to that, doesn’t it?

True.
Endless.
Love.

What have you learned during grief? My heart goes out to you! Feel free to share this to anyone you feel might benefit from it.

Let’s make happiness your business by creating your authentic brand…

To the best of the rest of your life!

Life is good.