Reflecting on Loss and Growth

Rings of Time

Last week, I had the privilege of sitting down with Byddi Lee – Author, Playwright, and Screenwriter on my podcast - after reading her profoundly moving book Barren. It tells the story of a grieving woman who connects with the spirit of her miscarried child, unveiling the story of an ancient Irish woman navigating a climate catastrophe. As I turned the pages of Byddi’s story, I found myself deeply touched, not only by her beautiful writing but also by the tenderness with which she brought the unseen into the light.

Her story stirred something within me. It opened a quiet space in my heart where I reflected on my own journey through baby loss and miscarriage - two precious souls who came briefly into my life and who now live on in Spirit. I feel their presence with me every day. Though not here in the physical world, they are part of my story - woven into the fabric of my past and my present, guiding me in gentle ways I cannot always explain but deeply feel. They remind me daily of the love that never leaves and the connections that transcend form.

As Byddi and I spoke, our conversation flowed into the wisdom of trees and the stories they hold in their rings. We explored how the natural world mirrors our inner landscapes -how each tree ring, like each experience, tells a chapter of growth, struggle, resilience, and renewal.

When I reflect on the inner rings of a tree, I see the echoes of my own life. Each ring, a year lived. Each ring, a layer of who I’ve become. There are wide rings, representing times of flourishing, times when I stood rooted in purpose, sharing my heart’s work as a wellness coach, Reiki master, and clinical hypnotherapist. These were the seasons when healing felt expansive, and I witnessed both myself and others blossom.

And there are the narrower rings - those tender, more difficult years shaped by grief, uncertainty, and personal healing. The times when I had to pause, listen deeply, and gather strength from within. Losing those babies, moving through that silent grief, was part of those rings. Yet, even in sorrow, growth found a way. Like the tree that keeps reaching for light despite harsh seasons, I, too, found resilience I didn’t know I possessed. These sacred, quiet rings became the soil of my deepest empathy and the foundation of the support I now offer others on their healing paths.

The passage of time becomes visible in the rings of a tree, and in the same way, I see how the unfolding of my life has shaped me. Healing is not linear, it spirals, circles, and returns, just like those rings. And in each return, I gain new understanding, not only of myself but of the strength that comes from loving deeply, even when that love is carried in Spirit rather than in arms.

As I continue to reflect, I honour the stories of those I’ve worked with and walked beside. Their journeys, their trust, and their healing are woven into my own rings, just as mine are woven into theirs. We are all part of a greater forest, each tree individual, yet deeply interconnected. Our roots meet beneath the surface, where compassion and shared experience grow.

The resilience of the tree through storm and drought reminds me of the strength within all of us. Every challenge, every joy, every soul we’ve loved and lost adds to the layers of who we are. And just as the tree stands tall, its story etched in every ring, I, too, stand with my story - proud, grounded, and ever-growing.

In the end, I hope that my journey, my words, and the love I carry will encourage others to honour their own rings, to recognise the beauty in their growth, the sacredness of their pain, and the unbreakable bonds that endure beyond time. Like the tree, may we all leave behind a legacy of resilience, wisdom, and love.

You can watch my beautiful conversation with Byddi HERE on YouTube

Sharon Fitzmaurice

Author, Wellness Coach & Podcast Host

Attitude of Gratitude

Is being grateful really going to make a difference in your life?

For me, most definitely! Gratitude reminds me of all that I have in my life in the present moment. Instead of focusing on what I don’t have, I focus on what I do have. If you started listing in your mind right now all that you are grateful for, you might surprise yourself.

“But what about when you are going through a really hard time and everything seems to be going wrong?” This is a statement I hear from so many people, they tell me its’s okay to be grateful when life is going well, but it’s really tough when you are feeling overwhelmed by events out of your control. I hear you!

Life is a series of events that are positive and negative, over the years I have learned that most of my negative experiences led me to a place of healing and acceptance. They taught me to be grateful for each one and learned so much about myself. If it wasn’t for said experiences, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

Of course when you are going through those challenging experiences, you are not grateful for them at the time. Let me give you an example. When we were told that my Sister was very unwell and was expected to die, we were in shock. As a family we came together to support her and be with her as much as possible. On seeing her fading away in front of our eyes, we knew that we were holding onto her, but deep down we knew she wasn’t going to survive this. I remember begging God to help her and that She really needed him right now! I now realise that the help she really needed was to let go and be at peace, she had fought long enough. Now, I give thanks everyday that She was in my life for 27 years and I still hold her in my heart. I now focus on what she gave me in life - unconditional love, and am so grateful that we were lucky enough to have her in our family.

Every time I walk now, I bring her with me in my mind and heart, when I am struggling to get up that hill or my back is acting up again, I remind myself to be grateful for my legs, they allow me to walk up the hill and keep me grounded in every challenge - my Sister could not walk. Each time I talk with my friends and family, I give thanks for a voice to speak , being able to express myself. My Sister was unable to speak but for one word she uttered, and that was “Mama”, and for that I am so grateful. She may not have said many words, but to hear her voice expressing this was what we will always hold dear.

“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” – Meister Eckhart

Being grateful reminds you of what is truly important, during the hard times we tend to dwell on them and forget all the things that are going right. When we look around, we realise that our biggest blessings are the people in our lives.

One of the most commonly referenced research studies on gratitude was conducted by Emmons and McCullough in 2003. They split their research participants into three groups who were asked to list up to five things:

1. they were grateful or thankful for

2. that were struggles in their daily life

3. that simply happened

The participants didn’t describe or write about the events; they simply listed them. They did this daily for three weeks. After comparing the participants to themselves at the beginning of the experiment and to one another, Emmons and McCullough found several interesting relationships. The participants who wrote about what they were grateful or thankful for were found to have significantly:

• Emotional more resilient

• More eager in helping others

• Better outlook on life in general

• Improved sleep

• Improved relationships

Later studies have generally found similar results: Short expressions of gratitude on a regular basis have a positive impact on our mood and much more

So how can you bring more gratitude into your life?

Start simply

1. Every morning when you wake, give thanks for being blessed with another day, some people are denied the privilege.

2. Focus on your breath and say silently to yourself “I breathe in love, I breathe out gratitude”,. I like to send this out before me each morning. This is also a good way to introduce meditation into your daily routine.

3. I always give thanks for my food before I eat as I am so grateful to have food on my table each day.

4. Say “Thank You” to everyone that takes the time to connect with you whether on social media or in person.

5. When you are struggling with an issue, instead of letting it take over your day, switch the thought in your mind and ask yourself what are you grateful for in this moment and it will make the issue seem a little easier to deal with.

6. In those times of challenges or struggles, ask yourself what it is trying to teach you and be grateful for the awareness of knowing that every experience is an opportunity to learn and grow.

7. When we are grateful, we are more able to help others without wanting anything in return and know that we are helping to make a difference.

8. Every night as you go to bed, breathe deeply and list in your mind all that you are grateful for in that day, you will sleep easier and bring that positive energy into your tomorrows.

9. Keep a gratitude journal, I designed one that has daily guidance and affirmations which helps bring your focus back to the blessings in your life, it also allows you a space each day to write your own thoughts. People who use it say it has helped bring more awareness into their lives.

10. Smile because you are alive :-)

Be Thankful
Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfilment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.
~ Author Unknown ~

I smile because I’m alive

Sharon Fitzmaurice is an Author, Holistic Wellness Coach and Speaker based in Co. Galway. Her main focus is to help others to help themselves in all areas of their lives. She provides regular meditation and mindfulness classes for the private and public sector. She is a Reiki Master Teacher and as well as seeing her clients each week, she provides training on how to incorporate the Reiki practise into other people’s lives. Her role as a Clinical Hypnotherapist has helped her work on a subconscious level with clients in getting to deep rooted issues and helping them awaken to their full potential. She is a regular speaker at events introducing the positive benefits of creating change that starts from within. Sharon has shared her story of overcoming childhood trauma, anxiety and depression in her best-selling book -Someone please help me, so I did

Reflecting on change - Retreat

This past weekend I spent another wonderful retreat weekend with people from all over Ireland and the Uk,  in The Boghill Centre  . Every time I arrive to the centre in the beautiful rural setting of Kilfenora, Co. Clare, I am embraced by the peace and welcoming natural beauty of its surroundings. This is my home away from home for two weekends every year and I get to share it with the most amazing people each time. 

The theme of the retreat this month was Transforming with Spirit, it is not about changing who you are, but gently and compassionately acknowledging, accepting and loving yourself for who you are right now. It is changing the way you see yourself and how you feel about you from this moment on. It was a deeply emotional and life changing weekend for many of us including me. 

Many of the retreat participants were new to our little weekend getaway, but there were many familiar faces that have returned for the 4th and 5th time to further acknowledge where they are on their journey in life and to reconnect with themselves and a beautiful network of unconditional support and love from the group and from their new friends. It is amazing to see the bonds that are made on a soul level between people on the retreat, it is like we are stripped back of all ego, masks and pretense. We open our hearts to each other to reveal a beautiful but sometimes vulnerable side to ourselves that we are unable to do until now.

On this retreat I was joined by fellow Spiritual Medium Teachers Bronia West  & Wayne McHugh who shared so much of their beautiful energy with us all in imparting their learned skills from years of experience in helping others to connect on a deeper level to themselves and to Spirit. It was a such a joy to work in the energy of these two amazing people. In the evening we invited Bev Shiplee up to join them for an evening of Mediumship, beautiful messages of love, forgiveness and support were channelled from Spirit to the groups. There were even a few surprise guests invited to debut their abilities. Amazing to watch the courage shining through when we just allow ourselves to stand in our power. 

This was my 13th group to bring on retreat and each time is completely different. I know I am guided in my work and no matter what the plan in my head is, I have to just go with my heart. The flow of the retreat is all depending on the energy of the group and I always go with that. I know that with each exercise we partake in we are deepening our love and understanding to ourselves and the world. I truly believe that there are miracles occurring right in front of us everyday and sometimes we just need to stop and accept them, but first we must accept ourselves.

I felt deeply grateful to lead this retreat with so many amazing and talented people all waiting to shine their light even brighter. I was honoured on the Sunday closing ceremony by each person with a thank you from their heart and a special message from each, I felt it very deeply and it moved my soul into a new state of gratitude for life and for learning. 

We are all learning and growing, no matter who we are, where we are in our journey, we have so much more to experience. And whilst doing so you can have loads of fun along the way, well in our retreats we certainly know how to throw an after party.

Love to all. 

Our September retreat is nearly fully booked, so I may have a surprise retreat in May 26th to 28th, please let me know if you are interested.