A Note About The Non-Linear Journey Blog

By Ilana Shapiro Yahdav

The Non-Linear Journey Blog has been in the works for a very, very long time. Its name and topic have changed many times over the years. I’m sure the content will continue to evolve with time. But, now it can evolve while sharing it with others - not just in a faraway locked-up part of my brain.

It is scary for me to launch this blog into the world for many reasons - it’s my raw grief, my deepest feelings, my thoughts, and my fears all in writing.

It is my story - the way I remember it - the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s also an invitation for others to share their story and be witnessed. 

Sharing my writing, in general, brings goosebumps to my skin. Since I was little, I have always loved to write. I thought I’d be a writer. Until I didn’t. Until I wasn’t.

I remember in middle school, I was writing my first young adult novel - a mystery that took place in Colonial times. I worked on it all weekend on my very old DOS black and white computer and proudly showed a printout to my English teacher that Monday.

To this day, I do not remember what she said that hurt me so and destroyed all my confidence at the time. But, I do remember exactly where I was standing, the look of the room, the look of her face as she was talking. I remember her hairstyle. I remember her name which I won’t share here.

I was young, impressionable, and utterly shattered by her words. I never stopped writing - I just stopped letting anyone else see it. Until now. 

That was a grieving experience. It took me a very long time to learn that those feelings were grief. It took me becoming a grief specialist, helping others, and doing my own inner work to identify it as grief.  It took me an even longer time to work through it and gain the courage to share my writing again. 

So here we are. I’m proud to start this blog with my amazing business partner, Kim. She will also share her non-linear grief journey - in her own words. 

This blog - created by words my dying father said to me - will help both Kim and I voice our own grief, share what helped us, and simply provide a platform for others to share their stories.

 My big ask of you is to be KIND when you read my words, Kim’s words, or anyone else word’s that we are fortunate enough to be able to share.

Everyone is going through their own journey and deserves to be witnessed. 

All unkind comments will be removed and blocked. We welcome constructive truth and feedback. There is no place for nastiness here. There is enough pain in the grief journey.

With that said, please share your thoughts and feelings, in the comments. Or, feel free to email us if you want to share anonymously. 

• We’re all on our own unique non-linear journeys. 
• Let’s support each other.
• Let’s witness each other.
  
• Let’s work on our healing together.

That’s how we heal the world, one heart at a time.

We invite you to share stories of your grief, of your loved ones, and of your experiences. What helped you? What didn’t help you? What are your lessons learned?

Please email us: [email protected] for how to submit your entry.