I have written several times in the past about the need for taking breaks and being realistic about one’s personal bandwidth. I know these things are important…and I am still often bad at them, sometimes to the point of letting myself be overwhelmed.
These past six months have been a good example of that.
While everyone copes differently, I realized I needed some structure. In October, I went back to therapy, and also started a new medication. And over the past several months, I have been working to prioritize the things that are both important and realistic for me.
So after a long and much needed break, I am back with news on newly prioritized projects:
Writing Updates
While much of my writing lately has been short-form poetry and Instagram-length posts, I was honored to be invited to work with Lt Col Julie Sposito-Salceies on a piece on child loss for the journal of the U.S. Army War College. I also had a piece on the beautifully complicated experience of being a donor-conceived family published in Love What Matters. And finally, you’ll see a short poem about parenting after loss coming out in Pregnancy After Loss Support magazine during the second week of February.
Free Baby Loss Greeting Cards (New!)
Prompted by a post I wrote in December about better things to say to bereaved parents, I recently started creating greeting cards in Canva. The cards are downloadable, customizable, and 100% FREE, and can be printed either at home or through any commercial print service. Our first batch of 13 cards is available here, and more are coming soon.
New on the Graphics Blog
Creating graphics has been one of my relaxation methods, so this is one area where I haven’t been slacking. You’ll find a TON of new graphics in the graphics blog, here.
Sea Glass Parenting
The Facebook group is slowly growing (welcome to our new members!), and is now accompanied by a Sea Glass Parenting Instagram account. We share resources, customizable graphics, and thoughts for bereaved parents and families. We also recently started sharing writing prompts, in preparation for the launch of the Sea Glass Writing course in February
I’d also like to give a shout-out to LS Magical Creations, who created the tumbler in the photo up above. It’s a bit of a difficult logo to work with, but she did amazing with it. You can get your own, or many other designs, here (not an affiliate link, just appreciation).
Sea Glass Writing officially launches 21 February 2022
After a long hiatus, Sea Glass Writing is back for its first official session, starting 21 February, offering 26 days of writing, activities, and community with fellow bereaved parents
While the normal price is $26, this first session is being offered for $10. Learn more about the course here, or register via Ko-Fi here.
What happened to Plain Talk Pregnancy?
Adrian‘s Elephant’s sister site, Plain Talk Pregnancy, experienced a successful launch in June. Then when I took my long break, the posts I had scheduled for the rest of the year were delayed. The site is (coming) back on track, and the next post will be up by the middle of February. Further posts will be created on a schedule that is a little more realistic for me, likely bimonthly or quarterly (research is a beast!). And if you or someone you know may be interested, I am also looking for contributing writers.
