When Life Hits Hard and Unexpected!

Have you ever felt like you're trapped in one of the worst nightmares of your life, desperately wanting to wake up? That's exactly what I'm going through right now. I’ve lost one of the most important people in my life, and sometimes it feels unreal. My dad was everything to me the best dad a girl could ask for. In my heart, I always believed he’d be here forever, walking through life with me

Instead, he left me to find my way, and the thought that he's really gone still feels unimaginable. Some days, I feel completely lost, but deep down, I know I can’t sit in sorrow forever. My dad was the person I turned to when life got tough—the one who listened without judgment and gave advice in the simplest, most honest way. He had a knack for lightening the mood with humor, making heavy conversations easier to bear.

Caring for a sick parent and watching life leave their body is one of the hardest experiences anyone can go through. And nothing truly prepares you for what comes after. Losing my dad put me in a mental space I wasn’t ready for. It's okay not to be okay sometimes, and it's important to let someone you trust know when you're struggling, especially during such devastating times.

I needed help and support. After years of reading books and mentoring women, I knew this journey wouldn’t be easy, and healing wouldn’t happen overnight. So I sought counseling and immersed myself in everything I knew about healing the heart and mind. When I created the Empower Her Transformation program, I never imagined I’d need to lean on it so deeply just to stay afloat. Health is more than just what you eat—it's your environment, the people around you, your job, your family, your mentality, your thoughts, your words, your actions, heck your entire existence. I had to look inward and understand that just because I lost my dad, I couldn’t lose myself. I have so much to live for, and I love my life.

I had to stop feeling sorry for myself and accept that life isn’t always fair. Things happen that are beyond our control, but when they do, we have two choices: fold or fight. I chose to fight. My dad would want me to fight, to not give in to grief or sorrow. I’ve realized there’s no set timeline for grief. There will be sad days, days when I cry more than I want to, but there will also be great, happy, and joyful days. Life is about living and moving forward.

I did everything I could for my dad, right up to his last day on this earth, and I know he was proud of me. Now, I have to take care of myself. I have to show up for me and keep moving forward.

When life hits you hard—and it will—you can’t give up. You just have to keep moving, tears and all, because your life is worth living and fighting for!

Coach Yulonda!