Grief, Grace, and Gathering Voices: The Birth of an Anthology

Welcome to my Author Spotlight Series

As the compiler of On the Other Side of Grief, I have the privilege and honor of gathering a powerful collection of voices for the first volume in the On the Other Side book series. This project was born through deep reflection, divine guidance, and years of walking with grief and its many forms. To kick off this Author Spotlight series, I thought it was fitting to begin with my own story, offering a glimpse into the heart behind the pages of the anthology.

There are moments when the universe whispers so softly you almost miss it and then there are moments when it places the signs in front of you everywhere you turn, refusing to be ignored. For me, that was Gabriel, appearing like breadcrumbs on a trail I wasn't sure I was ready to follow.

I am Bella Rose, and my path to becoming the compiler of On the Other Side of Grief, began not with a single revelation, but with a lifetime of learning to dance with darkness. As a writer, artist, and holistic health and wellness practitioner behind Bella Rose Healing Hands, I understand intimately that our deepest wounds often become our greatest teachers. My own journey through trauma, chronic pain, and the labyrinth of grief carved out spaces within me that would later become vessels for holding other stories.

Holding a bachelor's in holistic health sciences and training as an intentional creativity teacher, I learned that healing is both an art and a science but most profoundly, it's a sacred journey back home to yourself. When I'm not walking alongside others in their healing journey, you'll find me with pen in hand, paintbrush poised, or spoiling my late father's cat, who reminds me d that daily love transcends the boundaries between worlds. My advocacy work in disability rights, accessibility, and overdose awareness flows naturally from my healing practice. Each cause reflects a piece of my own journey, understanding that comes from walking these pasts myself.

The genesis of On the Other Side of Grief arrived during a therapy session, while my hands created Instinctively across the pages of my art journal. In that sacred space between conscious thought and divine inspiration, the idea descended like a gentle snowfall, quiet at first, then impossible to ignore. This wasn't merely about sharing my own story. It was about bringing together multiple voices, creating a space where grief could be seen, held, and transformed into something healing.

But divine downloads, I've learned, often come with a test of faith. The more I attempted to dismiss this calling, the more persistently Gabriel's name appeared; in conversations, meeting new people, Facebook posts and books tucked into random encounters like love notes from the universe. Archangel Gabriel, the messenger, was making it abundantly clear that this message needed delivering.

A conversation with my editor and writing coach from the Your Soulful Book program became the bridge between inspiration and action. On the Other Side of Grief would become the inaugural Volume in what will grow into the on the other side book series, a collection of books designed to explore the full range of human experiences and what is on the other side.

As the person putting this anthology together, I'm also sharing my own stories within it. Throughout the book's introductions and reflections, I'll explore the many different ways grief shows up in our lives. But it's in my personal chapters where I'll be completely vulnerable about my own experience, especially when I share the story of grieving the life I had before a near-fatal car accident changed everything.

This story isn't just about surviving what happened to me. It's about understanding how I let go of who I used to be and slowly become someone new. The deep sadness of losing everything familiar flows through these pages. Sometimes that sadness feels gentle, other times it hits like a flood, carrying away old dreams while revealing strength I didn't know I had. It's about learning to surrender to a life I never planned or imagined for myself and finding my way in a world that looks completely different from the one I knew.

When readers close this book, I want them to feel held by more than just words. I want them to understand that in their darkest nights, when grief feels like a country with no borders and no maps, they are not traveling alone. Hope may sometimes appear as merely a pinprick of light in an endless expanse of darkness, but it is there persistent as morning, patient as seasons changing.

Perhaps most importantly, I want to shatter the mythology that grief follows rules, timelines, or proper procedures. There is no wrong way to mourn, despite what well-meaning voices might whisper. The right way to grieve is uniquely yours: messy or methodical, silent or screaming, predictable or all over the place.

Writing for this anthology became its own form of archaeology, carefully excavating layers of grief I hadn't realized I was still carrying. The process demanded I approach my own story with the same gentleness I offer my clients replacing judgment with curiosity, criticism with compassion. There is profound medicine in being witnessed on the page, in allowing our deepest truths to breathe in the space between words.

What surprised me most wasn't the grief I uncovered, but the resilience I discovered threaded through my own narrative. Sometimes we can't see our own strength until we write it down, can't recognize our own courage until we read it back to ourselves in our own voice.

My writing rituals are as sacred to me as any healing ceremony. I begin by turning on my aromatherapy diffuser, lighting a candle, setting my intention and inviting my angels into my creative space. A few moments of mindful movement ground me in my body before I surrender to the page. This is messy work, honest work, deeply intuitive work that refuses to be rushed or controlled. Some days, words cascade like waterfalls, my fingers racing to catch each word before it disappears. Other days, I sit in patient silence, trusting that the right words will arrive when they're ready. For this particular project, there were sessions where my tears became part of the ink, where emotion flowed so freely that the boundaries between writer and words dissolved entirely. I've learned to trust this rhythm, to let my pen speak directly from the chambers of my heart.

Throughout this journey, one phrase kept coming to me: "Even in silence, your story is speaking." When words felt inadequate, when emotions threatened to overwhelm the page, this reminder anchored me. I also leaned on breathwork, essential oils, and gentle meditations to stay grounded.

People are often surprised to discover that my musical tastes span the spectrum from meditation bowls to metal bands, from gentle acoustic melodies to the thunderous anthems of the '80s and '90s that soundtrack my youth. This eclectic range isn't coincidental different energies call for different sounds, and I've learned to let music be another healing tool, another way of honoring the complexity of my human experience.

If you're reading this and feeling drawn to share your own story but find yourself nervous or hesitating, wondering if anyone would truly understand, I want you to know: your story matters, especially the parts you think no one could possibly understand. You don't have to share everything at once, but letting yourself be seen even a little bit can be deeply healing. Start where you are and be gentle with yourself. Sometimes, it only takes one story—your story—to touch someone else's heart and help them feel less alone on their healing path.

Your story matters more than you realize, sweet soul. Even if sharing feels scary especially if it feels scary know that your words could be exactly what someone else needs to hear to take their first step toward healing. We heal in community, and your voice is a vital part of that healing circle.

I'm getting more excited as this book comes together, seeing the unique voices that show we are not alone. It's proof that healing happens in community, that we're not meant to walk through grief in isolation. Sometimes telling your story helps someone else breathe a little easier, and sometimes it helps you do the same.

This anthology is more than just a book. It's our way of honoring what we've lost, celebrating the strength we've found, and returning to parts of ourselves we thought were gone forever. My deepest hope is that readers will feel held by these pages, that they'll find not just stories but real comfort in these words.

Thank you for being here. Whether you're in the thick of grief, finding your way to healing, or supporting someone else through their journey, please know that there truly is hope on the other side. Your presence in this conversation matters. Thank you for bearing witness—for reading, feeling, and walking alongside us on this sacred journey. Your presence here is part of the healing, part of the magick that happens when stories find their way to the hearts that need them most. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your support of this project and the community growing around it.

This is just the first of the conversations I'll be sharing from the incredible contributors of On the Other Side of Grief. I'll be featuring other authors who've courageously opened their hearts to help others heal.

Want to journey with me? Follow along for more Author Spotlights, and if you've ever felt called to share your own story of transformation, now's your chance! On the Other Side of Grief is still accepting submissions – your voice could be part of this healing collection.

Your story might be exactly what someone else needs to find their way home to hope.

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