When my brother died by suicide eight years ago, I didn't know what to expect out of life after. Do you go through the stages of grief, one at a time? How long till you can laugh again? Does the pain ever go away? I found some answers, but not all of them. I learned that grief lasts a lifetime, but love lasts forever.

If you have depression and you're still here living, doing what you can, you're not only a survivor -- you're one of the strongest people. For the times you don't feel very strong or worthwhile, keep these depression affirmations close to your heart. Consider them something to hold on to when you need more light.

The right weather to match your mood: it’s like Mother Nature understands you. Here’s a little poem/ode to feeling your feelings and feeling understood when the nature around you mirrors the nature within you. Remember: you're more than your feelings, more than the weather. You're the whole sky, and the earth too.

I've been working on some new prints for my people (that's youuu) and here's what I've got: 3 affirmations, 4 poems, and 1 prayer for change. Because the start of a new month is always a good time to take ownership of your life. Here's to transformation of the best kind.

Let’s be honest: nothing makes death easier for the ones left behind. Yet what breaks your heart connects you to others in new ways. Through that common thread, you grow the courage to bloom from your wounds. To grow, to give, to live again. And here’s what that might mean for you…

Grief hurts. It can feel like wreckage, like being washed away and remade in a new way. We can label grief as bad, badgering it into being innately wrong when, in fact, it’s proof that we’ve lived and loved. Really lived, really loved. This poem embraces grief as part of LIFE, not just death, and essential to healing.

“I am stronger than I feel.” That’s the mantra that inspired these affirmations for mental strength. Use them daily to keep your head up, heart open, and hope alive. I hope you know: you’re capable and brave and significant, even when it feels like you’re not. Actually, that’s exactly when you’re the bravest of all.

Try this simple mindfulness practice next time you feel trapped by your own thoughts. It’s short and you can use it anytime, anywhere. Instead of destroying the worry, you’ll dissolve it in your focused awareness. Then you can move through your day (or night) feeling calm, capable, and open to what’s next.

Have you ever felt so broken that you know you’ll never be the same again? Maybe you feel that way now. Know this: here, after all the falling apart and right in the middle of not-knowing, you can breathe. You can make something new. That’s because even though you’re breaking, you’re unbreaking too. Read this poem to feel better about it.

I already know what it feels like to let my doubts keep me small; I’d like to see what happens when I lead with my heart anyway, doubts and all. That’s what these courage quotes are for: to carry you forward into something new, and maybe better.