Thank you for accepting me into the group. I’ve lost two loved ones since the summer. It has been a rough time, as I am sure you can relate.

1) My name is Michelle Cyr 2) I live 1/2 the year in Fulton, Texas and other 1/2 in Ladysmith, WI. 3) I am a professional artist that tells life stories thru portraits of their hands.

Please share something that made you smile this week. I'll go first. I walked around the Harlem Meer with my niece yesterday and the air was crisp and the sun was shining.

Please write a NEW post in this section. Introduce yourself by answering these 3 questions: 1) What is your name? 2) Where do you live? 3) What is your expertise or passion? Welcome and thank you for being here!

1) What is your name? Alison Pena aka Bad Widow 2) Where do you live? NYC 3) What is your expertise or passion? Serving people by helping them thrive fully on their own terms after a grief experience. There are so many kinds of resources for those who are grieving but, when my husband died, I couldn't find what I needed to live fully again, so I created solutions out of every challenge I faced. The coaching frameworks I designed are The Affluence Code and the Life After Grief Blueprint. I love to write (The Bad Widow Guide to Life After Loss: Moving Through Grief to Live and Love again, in 2 anthologies and published 2 essays in Business Insider) and speak on podcasts as host and featured guest. I love helping people remember who they are and take back their joy after grieving. 4) Who does your community serve? Bereaved - Anyone who is grieving a loss themselves or who loves someone who is, and wants to know better what to do or say to support them. There is grief in caregiving, aging, illness (having and witnessing)... My community can include anyone experiencing grief for any reason. Everybody grieves, sooner or later. I think knowing how to navigate the inevitable grief experiences is a life skill. 5) What are you struggling with? I am struggling to understand best practices for growing this community. It's my first community ever so I am open to suggestions and feedback.