The First Step Out of Stillness: Acknowledging the 'Tough Corners'

In our last conversation, we discussed a particular kind of weight—the way grief settles into the rooms around us and how a home can grow still and quiet, not in a peaceful way, but in a way that makes it hard to move. A way that feels suspended.

And when every room feels like that, where do you even begin?

You start with one corner. One small, specific place that carries the most emotional weight. What I call a "tough corner."

It’s not always an actual corner. Sometimes it’s a drawer. A chair. A closet. A shelf. It’s the spot you stop looking at. The one you’ve learned to work around.

These spots usually hold something more than just things. They hold time. Memory. Longing. And facing them can feel like touching the edge of something too big to handle.

Here’s what I’ve seen help:

A Gentle Way to Begin

If you feel even a small flicker of readiness—not certainty, not a plan, just a little bit of curiosity or a little less resistance—here’s one way to start:

Choose just one spot. The one that comes to mind right away. Don’t overthink it.

Give yourself ten minutes. Set a timer. Agree to walk into the space, open the door, or sit near it for just ten minutes. That’s it. No expectations.

Notice, don’t fix. Just be there. Breathe. Pay attention to what comes up. You don’t have to do anything else.

Touch one thing. Pick something small. A book, a shirt, a letter. Hold it. Let yourself feel what comes. Then ask, "What does my home need right now?" What do I need right now?

When the timer goes off, walk away. No pressure to finish anything. No need to keep going. You showed up. That’s enough.

The goal isn’t to clear the space all at once. The goal is to re-enter it. To remind yourself that you are still here and that this home, even in its stillness, can hold more than just loss.

It can begin to shift. It can start to catch up with you, too.

If you're facing a tough corner in your own home and feel unsure about what to do next, you're not alone. We can sit with it together and figure out a starting point that feels right for you.