Author: Kerri Elizabeth

“Standing Outside a Circle You Once Belonged To”

Posted on by Kerri Elizabeth

“Being left out hurts where you once had a place, but new places create new experiences, where inspiration is inviting you.”

There is a unique ache in being gently, or suddenly, uninvited.
Not because you crave the event,
but because you remember when you were part of the rhythm,
part of the laughter,
part of the room.

Sometimes the shift happens quietly,
a new voice in the family,
a new alliance,
a new dynamic that rearranges where everyone fits.
You may not be rejected maliciously,
just reshuffled without warning.

The door may have closed,
but your worth did not.
Some circles break
so new paths can open.

Gentle Practice:
Place your hand on your chest and say:
“I still belong, to myself, to my life, to my path, inspiration is inviting me to show up.”

-Kerri-Elizabeth-
Tomorrow, we explore the unseen pressures that shape a holiday table from the inside.

Tags: belonging, exclusion, emotional healing, holiday grief
Category: emotional wellness

“The Heart in the Middle”

Posted on by Kerri Elizabeth

“Some people carry the weight of wanting everyone to feel welcome.”

Every family has someone who tries to create harmony,
who opens their home,
sets the table,
holds the history,
and hopes the room will feel whole.

But even the kindest heart cannot see every fracture.
They cannot feel every tension, every silent ripple, every unspoken ache.
They simply love the way they know how,
by inviting, including, and believing that presence can soften old stories.

Be gentle with the one
who tries to gather all the threads,
their hands hold more than we see.

Gentle Practice:
Think of one “heart in the middle” you know.
Send them gratitude in silence.

-Kerri-Elizabeth-
Tomorrow, we acknowledge the people who find themselves outside the circle, even when they never meant to be.

“When Together Isn’t the Same Anymore”

Posted on by Kerri Elizabeth

“Togetherness changes shape when life changes everyone inside it.

Holidays rarely stay the same forever.
People grow, shift, return, leave, rebuild, repair, or unravel.
Sometimes the table expands, and sometimes it contracts.
And sometimes, the meaning of “being together” evolves into something quieter, smaller, or entirely different.

There is no failure in this.
Just the natural reshaping of family as life stretches everyone differently.
When togetherness changes, it doesn’t mean love is gone, only that love is learning a new language.

Together isn’t lost,
it’s just becoming
something we haven’t named yet.

Gentle Practice:
Name one thing that has changed, and one thing that hasn’t.
Let both have their place.

-Kerri-Elizabeth-
Tomorrow, we explore the heart of the host, the one who tries to hold everyone without losing themselves.

“Showing Up From Strength, Not Reaction”

Posted on by Kerri Elizabeth

“Your presence is a choice, not a compromise.”

Whether you attend a holiday event or stay home, make sure the choice comes from your center, not your wounds.
Show up because you want to, not because you’re proving something.
Stay home because you need peace, not because you’re punishing anyone.

Your emotional placement matters more than your physical placement.
Strength isn’t pretending everything is fine, it’s knowing how to enter a space without abandoning yourself.

When you show up whole,
even silence becomes love.

Gentle Practice:
Today, ask yourself one honest question:
“What version of me is making this decision, my healed self or my hurt self?”

-Kerri-Elizabeth-
Tomorrow begins Week Three, Redefining Togetherness as we move closer to Christmas.

“Choosing Space as Growth, Not Punishment”

Posted on by Kerri Elizabeth

“Space heals what pressure destroys.”

Distance becomes harmful only when fueled by bitterness.
But when chosen with clarity, space becomes medicine.
A reset.
A pause.
A boundary that protects both hearts.

Choosing space doesn’t mean you’re done loving.
It means you’re done bleeding.
It means you are choosing to evolve without forcing someone else to evolve beside you.

Space isn’t an ending,
it’s soil.
What grows from it
is entirely new.

Gentle Practice:
Take one minute and imagine space around your heart, light, breathable, warm.
Let yourself expand into it.

-Kerri-Elizabeth-
Tomorrow, we complete Week Two by exploring how to enter gatherings (or solitude) from a place of strength rather than reaction.

“When the Apology Never Comes”

Posted on by Kerri Elizabeth

“Closure is not something they give you, it’s something you decide.”

Some people will never say “I’m sorry.”
Not because you weren’t hurt,
but because we see ourselves and others differently when hurt is presented.

Stop waiting for their words to free you.
Your healing is not dependent on their accountability, only yours.
It’s dependent on your courage to release the story that keeps you small.

Your heart deserves peace
that doesn’t rely
on someone else’s awakening.

Gentle Practice:
Close your eyes and say:
“The closure I needed is the peace I choose.”

-Kerri-Elizabeth-
Tomorrow we explore choosing space, not out of resentment, but out of emotional maturity.

“Forgiveness Without Return”

Posted on by Kerri Elizabeth

“Forgiveness frees you, not the relationship.”

Forgiveness is not a reunion.
It does not guarantee closeness.
It does not erase history.
Forgiveness simply removes the emotional bondage that keeps your heart tied to what hurt you.

You can forgive someone and still never speak to them again.
You can release resentment without reopening the door.
You can find peace without forcing connection.
Your heart can soften without losing its discernment.

Let forgiveness be
a warm breath in winter,
gentle, unforced,
expecting nothing in return.

Gentle Practice:
Whisper: “I release you, but I do not return to what harmed me.”

-Kerri-Elizabeth-

Tomorrow: When apologies never come or are expected, how to stop waiting for closure you can give yourself.

“The Myth of Family Obligation”

Posted on by Kerri Elizabeth

 “Being related is not the same as feeling connection”

We grow up in hopes that “family always comes first,”. But loyalty without a connection can feel like betrayal to one self as well as others. Your presence is a gift with our without family connections, as long as you believe it is, don’t take it for granted and remember connection is where we are open to be connected.

Obligation looks backward.
Choice looks forward.
You get to choose how you enter a room, how long you stay, and whether that room is part of where and who you are now. Choice allows us to show up or not and still be our BEST,

You do not have
to prove your love.
Peace is a valid tradition too.

Gentle Practice:
Say this aloud: “I choose presence where I am respected, not required.”

-Kerri-Elizabeth-
Tomorrow, we explore forgiveness without reconciliation.

“When You Don’t Want to Invite Them”

Posted on by Kerri Elizabeth

 “Protecting your peace is not cruelty, it’s clarity.”

There are times you know someone will bring chaos, criticism, tension, or emotional labor you can’t carry right now. Not inviting them isn’t cruelty. It’s honesty. It’s acknowledging that your home is a sacred container, and not every energy belongs inside it.

But the question to ask is this:
Am I keeping them out to punish them… or to protect myself?
Only one of those choices leads to peace.

Let your boundaries be clean,
not sharp with revenge,
but clear with truth.

Gentle Practice:
Before making holiday decisions, ask:
“Does this choice come from wisdom or woundedness?”
Let the answer guide you.

-Kerri-Elizabeth-
Tomorrow, we dive into the emotional pressure of “family obligation” and how to untangle from it with grace.

“When You’re Not Invited”

Posted on by Kerri Elizabeth

 “Absence is not always rejection, sometimes it’s redirection.”

There are holidays when the chair you used to occupy is empty.
Not because you vanished, but because someone else closed the circle.
The old self might ache, question, replay scenes, wonder what you did wrong.
But the wiser self knows: not all doors are meant to open right now.

Your worth is not determined by who includes you.
Your peace is not dependent on being chosen.
Sometimes the greatest gift is being released from a room that no longer fits your growth.

If the door stays shut,
let it stay shut.
You are not meant
to shrink yourself thin.

Gentle Practice:
Say quietly: “My value does not depend on belonging where I am not welcomed.”

-Kerri-Elizabeth-
Tomorrow, we explore the other side, when you don’t want to invite someone, and how to do that without guilt.