The WAVES of Grief

05/23/2026

MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTES:

In honor of Memorial Day I’d like to mention 3 heroes of mine.

My father, Garnett Pierce Morison Jr. aka “Buzz”, a WWII Army Veteran and my beloved grandson, Ivan who showed extraordinary bravery while battling a rare incurable disease.

I honor, love and miss you both!! 💕
💜💫

I also honor the service and memories of my cousin John Garrison who passed in 2025. He was a retired Air Force Colonel who served in the Vietnam War.










THE WAVES OF GRIEF 🌊

05/20/2026

THE SILENT LOSSES NO ONE TALKS ABOUT

The “friendship loss” nobody names…
is a form of grief that rarely gets labeled as grief. There is often no blowup, no last phone call, and no clear ending. One day you realize the friendship only exists when you keep it moving and only you are making the effort!

It carries both the friendship piece and the grief underneath it without sounding bitter. More like a soft ache in a fog form.

That is part of why it can feel so isolating. If a relationship ends quietly, people around you may not notice anything changed. And when there is no shared story about what happened, it can be hard to talk about it without feeling awkward.

In friendships, the “giving” is often invisible stuff. It is remembering birthdays, checking in after a rough week, showing up when someone moves, or being the person who always suggests “Let’s grab coffee”
If one person is doing most of that work, the friendship can start to feel less like a bond and more like a job.

So when effort becomes one-sided, the connection can quietly loosen until it is gone. Some friendships are meant for a season, and losing them can leave a real ache behind. Sometimes honoring the loss is part of honoring yourself.








Warmly,
THE WAVES OF GRIEF 🌊

05/09/2026

I've always loved this quote.....

"Mothers hold their children's hands for a while, but their hearts forever."

Tomorrow, May 10, 2026, we remember, honor, and celebrate all mothers - whether biological, adoptive, spiritual, or someone who simply loved us with a mother's heart.

Mother's Day can bring warmth, gratitude, longing, heartbreak, or all of those feelings at once! For many, Mother's Day carries both beauty and ache.

To those missing their mothers....
To mothers missing their children....
To grandmothers carrying love across the veil and earth....
To anyone grieving the absence of nurturing, safety, or connection, I hold space for you today.

Love does not end with physical presence. It continues in memories, traditions, laughter, recipes, photographs, signs, and the quiet ways our hearts still reach for one another.

With Love,
Carol Ann
The WAVES of Grief

03/26/2026

GRIEF - "Blending In a World of Fog"

In the early acute stages of grief, it can sometimes feel like you're walking on "Fog Avenue", and it's only foggy through your lenses while everyone else's path is clear.

Returning to daily routines can feel off balance. The search for our "normal" has now been redirected to a new normal. It often challenges us and can become draining to adjust to that. We show up, put on a fake smile, and say "I'm fine, how are you", in hopes to just blend in. The pressures of trying to blend can suppress our feelings sometimes which makes it harder to release them.

Finding ways to cope and acknowledge your feelings is an important part of your grief journey. Running from or trying to escape will only bury those feelings deeper.

Here are some ways that may help you in the early days of grief and beyond.

** Do what feels best for YOU, and not what others think you should be doing.

** There is no timeline in grief. Everyone processes and feels it differently. Give yourself the gift of time.

** Journaling is very beneficial as it helps to release thoughts from the brain that may feel trapped. Whatever comes to your mind, write it down, even if it's only 1 word.

** Having someone to sit with and just listen without judgement is comforting. We need to tell our stories and speak their names.

** Taking walks in nature, the beach, and just listening to the quiet often times resets our nervous system.

You may be experiencing unbearable pain and feel like there's no remedy or end to it, I see you! I have walked on a very similar path.
I am here to listen with compassion, empathy, and will help you in adjusting your "new norm". When you are ready, reach out to me and we will walk together through the fog and find the light again.

What are some ways you have found helpful to manage your grief waves? Leave a comment if you’d like to share.

thewavesofgrief.godaddysites.com

Warmly,
Carol Ann 💜

02/21/2026

There is a grief that doesn't always get the acknowledgement it deserves. The loss of our beloved pets. 💔

They were never "just a pet". They were the ones who stayed beside you on your hardest days.
They sensed your moods without words.
They waited for you.
Loved you.
Trusted you.
Chose you.

Their absence leaves a silence that is deafening in the smallest, most ordinary moments - the empty spot on the floor, the routine that no longer exists, the instinct to call their name.

If you are grieving a beloved animal companion, please know this:

Your grief is real.
Your bond was real.
Your love was real and all so special to your heart.

They are part of our family and that kind of love doesn't simply disappear. They gave us unconditional love and it's painful when they pass.

Here at The WAVES of GRIEF, we honor every good-bye - including the ones with paws, fur, feathers, and love.🌈

If your heart is navigating the waves of losing your beloved companion, you don't have to do it alone. I am here to support you. Reach out whenever your heart needs it.

thewavesofgrief.godaddysites.com





Warmly,
Carol Ann

02/14/2026

In awareness of National Heart Month, if your heart is feeling extra heavy today or any day, you are not alone. Be gentle to yourself. Do something that lights you up! A simple walk in nature, enjoying your favorite food, movie, or book can shift your energy more toward the light.

Sending love and peace to everyone today and always. 💞💜❤️💓🫶🏻

Warmly,
Carol Ann

02/02/2026

“A GRANDJOY REMEMBERED: 4 YEARS WITHOUT. FOREVER WITHIN”

Ivan, age 11 – forever my Grandjoy, standing where the waves meet the stars.

February 2, 2026

This message is personal for me today. It marks 4 years since my grandson Ivan passed away at the young age of 11, from a rare lung and heart disease with no cure, plus other complications that presented later.

Ivan was a bright light that touched everyone he met. His cheeky smile and sense of humor was so uplifting to be around. He was my GRANDJOY, MY WHOLE WORLD. A very happy go lucky boy that loved spending time with his family whether it was hanging out at the race car track with his Dad, or going to the park with his Grammy, he had fun doing all kinds of things and enjoyed every minute of it!

Ivan was diagnosed at age 7 and even though it slowed him down a bit, he never let the disease define him and tried very hard not to limit himself, even when his body was saying otherwise.

I told him all the time how brave he was, and I have never met anyone braver that had to endure what he did. He is truly the bravest soul.

He is the reason I became a certified grief coach. I know how hard it is to lose a grandchild and walk with heaviness in your heart. Grief is not something to “get over” or fix. You learn to eventually swim with the waves of grief that sometimes hit you like a tsunami. This is done on your own timetable. There is no right or wrong way! We all grieve and honor our loved ones in different ways.

Ivan, I honor and cherish your memory today just like I do every single day. Even though you are not physically here, I know you walk beside me in a different form now as you do with all of us.

I also dedicate this message to:

The grandsons who never got to grow old
The granddaughters whose laughter still echoes in their grandparent’s hearts
The shining souls who were here for a moment but changed everything
And for the cosmic kids who still show up in signs, feathers, dreams, and moonlight. They are still with you, they haven’t faded, and neither did their love for you…..

Love you to the moon and to infinity Ivan
Your Grammy

For every grieving grandparent reading this – you are not alone.
Our grandkids are still with us.
Still loving us, still proud of us.

01/30/2026

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DT6LeDICSf6/?igsh=ZWxpeDdwbHNycGhx

01/26/2026

01/18/2026

💔GRIEVING LIVING LOSSES - Part 2: THE ACHE WITHOUT ACCEPTANCE

Grief is hard - always.
But when someone dies, the heart is eventually "invited" into acceptance, not because it stops hurting - but because death draws a line - A before and after.

What about "LIVING LOSSES"?
When someone is still alive....and yet gone in every way that matters? There is no clean line to follow. No funeral. No sympathy cards. Just silence and distance.

The sudden "disconnects", which leaves the heart aching and asking a thousand "whys"?

"Why and how could this happen?"
"Did I do something unforgiveable?"
"Are they okay?"
"Do they ever think of me and remember how much I love them?"
"Will we ever find out way back?"

Grieving those we love so dearly is a wound that reopens every time you hear or see their name, or look at photos of who you once were "together".

There is no neat acceptance here - but there IS learning.

1. Learning how to live without answers.
2. Learning how to hold love in your heart even when it's painful and has no where to land.
3. Learning how to stop reaching where there's no return.
4. Learning that boundaries don't mean bitterness - they mean self-preservation.
5. Learning to carry the thread "even if" the other person dropped their end.
6. Learning to forgive and not hold onto grudges and past mistakes.

💔IF YOU'RE GRIEIVNG SOMEONE STILL ALIVE.....

You are not crazy
Your are not weak
You are not overreacting.

You are experiencing a very real, very complex grief - one that society doesn't know how to talk about. But I DO.

HAVE YOU FELT THIS KIND OF GRIEF?

Someone who walked away, drifted, shut the door without an explanation, you are not alone and you don't have to carry it in silence.

I'd love to hear from you whether in the comments or quietly in a message, your story matters. I've been there - and I hold space for others trying to navigate the ache of Living Losses.

Reach out to me here or through my website: thewavesofgrief.godaddysites.com

You don't have to walk this path alone. I will walk with you and help.

Warmly,
Carol 💜