Hey all! I’m back and I’m excited to share more thoughts with you. I’ll be upfront that this one is going to be fairly somber and sentimental. I hope that sharing a portion of my time of grief might help any of you going through a similar season now or in the future. I also want to talk about the power of resilience, growth, and human connection.

Today’s Spilled Thoughts:

❤️ Reflecting on Legacies and Leadership

🤝 Learning from Loss

Reflecting on Legacies and Leadership 

Lessons from My Grandpa: Keeping Promises and Valuing Time

My grandpa was my mentor, my guide, and a huge part of who I am today. His lessons went beyond the usual grandparent stuff. He taught me about integrity and the value of hard work. He also taught me about sticking to your word. His mantra was clear: "If you say you're going to do something, you do it." 

But it wasn't all serious life lessons; we had our share of adventures too. Like the time we took the trip to Normandy. Walking the same beaches my grandpa stormed as a young soldier was surreal. 

He shared stories I’d never heard, adding layers to the history books I’d read. It was like I was seeing him for the first time, not just as my grandpa, but as a hero in his own right.

When the World Stopped: Losing a Pillar of Strength

The day I lost him, it felt like the world just... stopped. Nothing seemed important anymore. Work, deadlines, meetings—they all faded into the background. I was lost in memories, in the lessons he taught me, in the moments we shared. 

My boss at Google understood. They told me to take my time, to grieve, to heal. That gesture, that understanding, was a lifeline in one of the most difficult times of my life.

Learning from Loss: The Importance of Empathy and Support

During the time after my grandpa passed, I was in a fog. Those first few days just getting out of bed felt like an insurmountable task. There was no way I could flip a switch and dive back into work mode. My mind was a whirlwind of memories, and my heart was heavy with loss. I needed time.

The support I received from my team at Google during this season became my anchor. They recognized I wasn't in a place to return and allowed me the space to mourn, to reflect, and to start healing. I’m thankful the company I work for exemplifies a positive work culture. At another time and place of work, I may have needed to quit in order to properly work through my grief.

More companies are starting to rethink their bereavement leave policies. On average workers get five days of paid leave for the death of an immediate family member. That policy changed for Johnson & Johnson after an executive pleaded for more time to grieve the unexpected death of his son. The pharmaceutical giant ended up changing its policy from five days off to 30. 

The whole experience after my grandfather's passing has really highlighted something important about the workplace: the need for empathy. It’s important for leaders to remember that behind every role, every task, every deadline, there's a human being. A person with emotions, life experiences, and yes, losses that shape them in profound ways.

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