Introducing lovelew: A Beacon of Hope in Grief Healing and Support
Welcome to lovelew, a safe and compassionate space for individuals facing grief, death, or dying. Today, we share the story of our founder, Laura Walton, the heart and soul behind lovelew, and how her experience shaped the mission of this unique space for healing and support.
In her words, Laura's Journey: From Death to Transformation
As a kid, I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. For my first twenty years of life, I floated around aimlessly – working in restaurants and retail (I worked at Lululemon when there were only two stores in the U.S.).
One morning, when I was 21, I woke up to my mom calling me to tell me that my father died. He had committed suicide. It was shocking, yet not surprising. My father struggled with mental health challenges for at least as long as I’d been around and he had talked about suicide before. I dealt with his death the way many of us do - by running away and avoiding. I moved out of state, moved in with my long-distance boyfriend, and proceeded on with my life without truly acknowledging the loss and its meaning to me.
A few years later, I finally finished college (after changing my major about 6 times), with a BA in Art History (still haven’t used that one), and went about my life as a waitress. One morning when I was 26, I woke up to another phone call. This one was more shocking, and, for me, much more devastating. My on-again/off-again boyfriend and best friend in the whole world had died of a heroin overdose. My world collapsed at that moment. He was my everything. He was my person. Our relationship was complicated, but we knew each other in a way that I knew no one else. To say I was devastated was an understatement.
I truly believed there was absolutely no way I could continue to live in a world without him.
The Birth of lovelew
In the months and years that followed, I sought out all different kinds of support. I tried many different therapists, but really struggled to find a therapist who I felt wasn’t trying to “fix” me. It felt as if my grief was problematic to others, as if it was something that made people uncomfortable and that they wanted to fix or shut down. I didn’t know much at the time, but I knew that this did not feel right. I thought we could do better to support the brokenhearted, and I decided that one day, I would try to do that. I realized my new identity would be going to grad school and becoming the therapist and coach that I so wished I had in those tender times years ago.
I now see my own personal healing journey as one of my greatest assets in this work. I deeply understand grief and trauma on both a personal and professional level, and I am able to offer a truly compassionate, supportive, and loving hand, while also creating a clear, direct, and accessible road to transformation.
lovelew's Mission
lovelew stands as a testament to the belief that with the right support, transformation is possible… even after a sudden death of your partner. lovelew is a community where the brokenhearted can find understanding, compassion, and a pathway to healing. We’re here to walk you home – on your own timeline – and honor the love you shared with your partner.
lovelew is a community built on the foundation of real-life experiences, a deep understanding of grief and trauma, and the belief in the transformative power of compassionate support. Laura's journey – and everyone else on the lovelew team - is from the depths of grief to becoming a beacon of hope for others is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
If you’re curious about lovelew’s method, we wanted to share a starting place… a free guide to debunking common myths about grief. Here you’ll see how differently we talk about grief and hopefully, it resonates with you and your healing journey.
