A Tribute to Jennifer Kline

Almost Ten Years Without Her Jennifer Paredes-Kline

Tuesday, March 18, 2025 marks nine years since my mom passed away. A near decade without her laughter, her guidance, and the love she poured into our family. A million moments, lost forever.

My mom spent her life serving others—advocating for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, standing alongside those who needed it most... and at their darkest times.

AND she wasn’t just a protector. She was silly. She was the person who made you feel like you belonged. She filled our home with "attack hugs," deep conversations, and the kind of love that made you certain you were never alone because you were always welcome.

And... let us not forget: she'd make us LAUGH while she rocked out to Linkin Park. She didn't necessarily care if you were laughing AT her because, well, she was doing her own thing, wasn't she?

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When she died, it was like the sound had been turned off on my life, and the silence was ... deafening. Maddening. I did spend a few days in a behavioral health facility figuring out exactly how to proceed in this "life thing." I did not know WHERE to put all of the feelings that came in uncontrollable waves. I felt out of control. I was out of control. I needed an anchor.

Losing her in 2016 shattered my world. But when I decided that leaving this earth too was not really an option for a mother of an 8-month old, I returned to my local yoga studio. Two to three times a week, I would sneak through the doors and into the dark room and lay my grief on the on hardwood floors. In savasana I would stare at the ceiling with decorous sunlight breaking through clouds all while trying to hide my muffled sobs under the rattle of the heater. The ache would pour right from the center of me until there was no more left.

And I returned day after day to sort the grief... to understand how to put myself back together. In that room, I worked to forge the person that could not only stand in silence, but who could make music too.

It's taken me nearly 10 years to realize that what she left when she left us. Nine years to solve the riddle of my soul. What she left was an instinct to create spaces where people feel held, seen, and connected.

Grassroots Yoga exists because of that love I knew from my mother. For me, Grassroots Yoga Carson City is more than just a studio; it’s a place where people can show up as they are, find support, and share in something bigger than themselves. A place where people can come for hugs and laughter as well as challenge... but also ... it is a space where people can cry as they peel through the layers of what is wounding us in order to rebuild. GYC is a place where people can come to not feel alone in that process of healing.

So here's to you, Mama. I miss you. Something fierce. Every damn day. You're in my thoughts.

My mom and me. :)

Always.

"Now go kick some ass!-- in a healthy and balanced way, of course." - Jennifer Kline