The Pressure to Be “Better”
The Pressure to Be “Better” People mean well. They check in less now, but when they do, there’s always a quiet expectation beneath their words. “I hope you’re doing better.”“You seem stronger now.”“Time heals all wounds.” I know they say it because they care. But every time I hear those words, something in me tightens. […]
When the Question “How Are You?” Feels Impossible to Answer
When the Question “How Are You?” Feels Impossible to Answer People ask, “How are you?” all the time. It’s automatic, casual, expected. A question tossed out in passing, with the assumption that the answer will be simple. But grief makes that question complicated. How am I? I don’t know how to answer that. Do they […]
The Quiet Pain—When No One Sees Your Grief
The Quiet Pain—When No One Sees Your Grief Grief is loud in the beginning. People check in. They offer condolences. They acknowledge the loss. But as time passes, the world moves on. The messages slow down. The support fades. People assume I must be doing better because I am still here, still functioning, still breathing. […]
The Waves of Grief—When Healing Doesn’t Feel Like Progress
The Waves of Grief—When Healing Doesn’t Feel Like Progress I thought I was doing better. I had days where I could breathe again, moments when the pain wasn’t so sharp. I even caught myself feeling something close to okay. But then, without warning, the wave came. It hit me while I was driving, out of […]
The Guilt of Feeling Okay—When Moments of Peace Feel Like Betrayal
The Guilt of Feeling Okay—When Moments of Peace Feel Like Betrayal For a moment today, I felt… okay. I wasn’t happy, not in the way I used to be. But there was a small moment—just a breath—where grief loosened its grip. I was sitting outside, watching the wind move through the trees, listening to the […]
The Exhaustion of Grief—When Every Day Feels Heavy
The Guilt of Feeling Okay—When Moments of Peace Feel Like Betrayal I am so tired. Not just the kind of tired that sleep can fix, but the kind that lives deep in my bones. The kind that makes even the simplest things—getting out of bed, making a meal, answering a text—feel like climbing a mountain […]
The Unexpected Triggers—When Grief Comes Without Warning
The Unexpected Triggers—When Grief Comes Without Warning I thought I was doing okay today. The morning was quiet. I made coffee. I stepped outside and felt the warmth of the sun on my skin. For a brief moment, I felt… steady. Then, without warning, grief arrived. It wasn’t one of the big things—an anniversary, a […]
The Loneliness of the “New Me”
The Loneliness of the “New Me” I don’t recognize myself anymore.Grief has stripped me down, unraveling the person I used to be. I look in the mirror and see a stranger—tired eyes, an emptiness that wasn’t there before. The things that once mattered now feel distant, unimportant.People around me expect me to be “getting better,” […]
The Unfinished Future—When Dreams Are Left Behind
The Unfinished Future—When Dreams Are Left Behind This captures such a profound and heartbreaking truth about loss—the grief of what could have been. The way you describe it, how it steals not just the past but the future, is deeply moving. Would you like to add a reflection on how to hold space for these […]
The Guilt of Living—When Moving Forward Feels Like Betrayal
The Guilt of Living—When Moving Forward Feels Like Betrayal It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t intentional. A memory surfaced—one of the good ones. The kind that used to make my heart swell with warmth instead of ache with loss. And before I could stop myself, I smiled. I even let out a small laugh. Then the […]