I want to give a shoutout on this cool crisp #Caturday morning, to my incredible companion, Numi (aka Potato), for being an absolute rockstar through one of the most challenging seasons of my life.
.
Most recently that's included the daunting task of creating a list of everything we need to replace that we lost in the disaster when we lost our home, and everything we will need to rebuild our life in the barndo.
.
.
Gratitude in the Chaos
.
I am profoundly grateful for the systems I’ve developed over the years—organizational frameworks that don’t just manage logistics but also hold space for the deep emotions that accompany life-altering experiences.
.
Losing our home and everything we owned has been nothing short of overwhelming. The initial months were a blur of survival, strategy, and nuance. I couldn’t begin to think about sharing or educating about it during that time. I knew my focus had to be on me, first.
.
Through this journey, I’ve come to realize just how little support exists for navigating the aftermath of loss like this. Yes, there are immediate disaster response teams and general grief therapists, but what about the ongoing overwhelm of rebuilding? What about the emotional weight of trying to catalog everything you’ve ever owned, deciding what to replace, and then having to prioritize those replacements when resources are finite?
.
As a death doula I am no stranger to grief, death, loss, or transition, but this was a new level of that for even me!
.
Lessons Learned
.
This process has taught me how unprepared we are, as a society, to make space for the complex, layered grief and emotions that come with rebuilding—not just homes but entire lives and everything we connect to the possessions we own. There’s no roadmap for the continued overwhelm, the micro-decisions, and the moments when you have to pause and remind yourself to breathe amidst the enormity of it all.
.
A Testament to Resilience
.
Through it all, I’ve leaned on decades of experience, education, and advanced training to create a process for myself—one rooted in emotional, spiritual, and logistical systems that honor both the practical and the profound.
.
While I’ve always cherished these skills for helping others, this journey has been a powerful reminder that sometimes, the most important person to use them for is yourself (and your family).
.
And let me tell you—Numi has been a superstar teammate! He’s made sure I don’t forget his needs as I rebuild, LOL! His playful energy reminds me to take it one step at a time. And observing his resilience to not only nomadic lifestyle changes, but to learning to meet and love other kitties and learn to play has been a profound lesson and reminder and one I am deeply grateful for each day.
.
Sustainable Rebuilding
.
Today, I’m heading to a secondhand store while I am out on my errands to see if I can find some of the items we need. My goal is to keep items out of landfills and rebuild our home with audacious intentionality. I’ll be sharing my process soon—because even in the midst of loss, there are profound lessons to be learned and small, intentional practices anyone can adopt to create a more meaningful life.
.
Exciting News Ahead
.
Numi and I have been working on something VERY special to make you ALL a part of our life as we rebuild, and we can’t wait to share it with you! Stay tuned for the surprise—it’s something you won’t want to miss.
.
With that... Love, Moonlight, and a Dash of Catnip,
AK & Numi 
.
P.S. Yes one of his nicknames is Potato. Bc he is the shape of a potato and bc he moves about as much as one 22 out of the 24 hours of the day lol!
.