Sure, you may have divorced your ex, but you raised kids with him co-parenting for twenty years and then unexpectedly, he dies.

A hole is left in your life, but mourning can be complicated, and perhaps your current partner doesn't understand. Or your job doesn't see that as an immediate family member and expects you to show up for your job.

What about the grief when you child gets a diagnosis of Autism or OCD and you realize that they will have to work harder than other kids to get through life. Or that it will be more on your plate as a mom, juggling two other kids.

Or someone you knew in recovery commits suicide due to addiction, and it hits you square in the heart, but feels bigger than it should?

As women, we are navigating so many complex seemingly (to society mourning standards) minor losses and griefs every day, but we are expected to just take them on in our bodies and shoulder forward to all our responsibilities. To even stop for a moment and breathe can seem like too much time in our busy schedules but if we don't face the trauma and pain, we can get derailed in other emotional ways.

Speaking today with Krista Hellman, a social worker and founder of the Trauma and Grief Institute in Ottawa, Ontario, I learned a lot about how we need to process attachment and mourning in our bodies.

Krista wrote a book about the loss of her dog called Over ther Rainbow: The Love, Loss & Legacy of Your Dog, but it is about more than pet loss. She speaks of how connection can be continued beyond loss.

Please rate and review this episode if you enjoyed it.

I have a newsletter, Live Your Delicious Life, where you can learn more about my events, The Exhale: Put Yourself First where we discover ways to bring more Delicious into your life.