I’m Gillian, a native New Mexican, a mom of three amazing humans, a lifelong dog lover currently living with three adorable cats, a resilient nonprofit leader turned consultant, and probably many other things. My world turned upside down and inside out when my soulmate and husband Brian died in early 2017. He passed away after a three-year battle with colorectal cancer. He was diagnosed 4th stage at the age of 48 and was mostly asymptomatic (PSA coming…) Meaning a screening may have saved his life, but he wasn’t yet 50, so he was being treated for misdiagnosed back pain. They’ve lowered the screening age to 45 because of many younger diagnoses. GET YOUR COLONOSCOPY TODAY!

Brian was a wonderful guy, my better half, an extraordinary father, and the love of my life. For seven years I have been a student of grief—its ebbs and flows, intensity, suddenness, and gifts. I’ve written quite a bit about how I’ve encountered and embraced grief and found the many ways to access my husband since his passing in my creative pursuits, through our children, and in my everyday experiences.

Part of my healing was returning to my beloved homeland of New Mexico living out my version of “querencia” a beautiful, nuanced Spanish word that means love of land, love of home, love of place. There are a million things to say about New Mexico, taken from what is written in my heart, traveling through my blood and nerves, and serving as a literal foundation and grounding for all the ways I work and experience the world. Sharing part of these stories here is a work in progress as I go to my heart to, through, and for New Mexico.