LeadForward Vol.1 No. 1

Strategy

Embracing Small Steps After Loss by Dawn Mann Sanders

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Loss reshapes us. It doesn’t ask permission or wait until we’re ready. It simply arrives—sometimes suddenly, sometimes slowly—and leaves a quiet ache that lingers in the background of everyday life. When I lost my husband, I quickly realized that grief isn’t something you conquer or outpace. It’s something you learn to walk with. And in that walking, I found something that resembled healing—not in grand gestures, but in small, almost imperceptible steps. When I shared my journey on The Nonprofit Exchange podcast, I spoke honestly about how easy it is to want to return to the life we knew before loss. We crave normalcy, familiarity, the rhythm of what used to be. But grief disrupts that rhythm. For me, it meant letting go of the idea that I had to rebuild the exact life I had before. I had to create something new. And that wasn’t just painful—it was disorienting. I remember resisting the idea of starting over. I thought, “I’ve already done all this. I’ve checked the boxes. Why do I have to do it again?” It felt unfair. But slowly, I began to see that starting over wasn’t a setback. It was a new invitation—to rediscover what mattered, to shape a life that made sense in the aftermath of sorrow. And I didn’t set out with a detailed plan or formal steps. But looking back, I realize there was a kind of intuitive framework that helped me move forward. Not a rigid strategy, but a gentle structure—a way of responding to pain with compassion, patience, and grace. I allowed myself to take small, honest steps. On some days, that meant nothing more than writing the date in my journal. That, in itself, was a beginning.

"Maybe healing is a kind of strategy—not one we plan, but one our soul quietly knows, stitched together by grace, humility, and the courage to begin again."

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