Title: Navigating Grief: A Journey, Not a Destination
Title: Navigating Grief: A Journey, Not a Destination
Grief is one of those words that doesn’t fully capture the weight of what it represents. It’s not just sadness. It’s a dismantling. A quiet earthquake that shifts the ground beneath us—sometimes all at once, sometimes over weeks or years.
We grieve because we love. And when we lose someone or something we’ve anchored ourselves to—a person, a relationship, a future we imagined—grief becomes the shadow that walks with us.
The Shape of Grief
Grief isn’t linear. It doesn’t follow a neat five-step process. Some days you may feel a little lighter, only to be hit by a wave of sorrow when you least expect it—at a song on the radio, a familiar scent, a quiet moment in the car.
It shows up as tears and silence. As anger. As exhaustion. As numbness. There’s no “right” way to grieve, and no timeline. Whatever you're feeling—whatever shape your grief takes—is valid.
The World Doesn’t Pause, But You Can
One of the hardest parts of grieving is that the world keeps turning. People move on. Work expects you back. Bills still arrive. But you don’t have to rush your healing to keep up. It's okay to pause. To say no. To protect your energy.
Give yourself permission to feel everything. Or nothing. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your grief, or a performance of how you’re “handling it.”
What Helps (And What Doesn’t)
What helps can be deeply personal. For some, it’s community and conversation. For others, it’s solitude, art, movement, or rituals of remembrance.
But often, what helps most is allowing yourself to not be okay. To sit in the discomfort. To cry. To laugh when it feels right. To remember without guilt. To live, even when part of you feels broken.
Unhelpful advice will come—people trying to fix what can’t be fixed. "Everything happens for a reason." "They’re in a better place." These words, though often well-intentioned, can feel like salt on a wound. You’re allowed to reject them.
Grief Changes, But It Doesn’t Disappear
Grief doesn’t end. It evolves. Over time, it may grow quieter. Less all-consuming. But it never really leaves. And maybe that’s okay. Maybe it’s the price of love—the way we carry those we’ve lost forward with us, in our choices, our memories, our hearts.
You Are Not Alone
If you're grieving, please know this: you are not alone. There are others walking their own paths through the fog. Reach out, if and when you can. Speak their name. Tell their story. Or don’t—whatever brings you peace.
Grief isn’t something to overcome. It’s something to honor. A testament to the love that came before.