Grief Never Ends, and That's Okay.

Understanding Grief / Understanding Grief : Eleanor Haley


For a decade, I've been saying to any griever who would listen - "When someone you love dies, you grieve the loss forever. Grief never ends." And I tell them they have a right to this grief (they do) and that they should acknowledge their pain and openly embrace their ongoing connection with the person who died. 

Though this suggestion is reasonable for some, I'm sure it seems aspirational for just as many others. Plenty of people have reservations about sharing their grief years after their loss. Our society usually doesn't validate grief that lasts longer than a year or two, and it may seem like grief support comes with an unspoken expiration date.

Of course, many people carve out safe havens where their grief can exist indefinitely, but these are usually small and sacred corners, like a secret club or a hideaway under the stairs. As lovely as these spaces may be, it seems unfair that they are the only places where ongoing grief can exist. 

I write for a grief website, and I will confess I struggle with the same fear of sharing my ongoing grief. This October will be 15 years since my mother died, and I have plenty of thoughts and feelings about my loss, but sometimes I feel self-conscious continuing to talk about it. I worry it will come off as disingenuous--like it's attention-seeking or milking my loss for content. But it's none of these things. Trust me; I'm not a good enough writer to churn out 1000 emotional words on something I don't feel.

I struggle with the misperception that I shouldn't still be actively grieving her at this point. Like I should have made it past the turbulence of grief long ago to calmer and more enlightened skies. I mean, I've been putting in the work. So how come my grief isn't more transformative after all this time and processing? Because I've got to be honest, how I feel about my loss couldn't be more basic after 15 years of grieving. I miss my mom, and I want her back. Period. End of story. 

grief never ends

The narrative arc of my grief story is a circle. Time and again, I find myself back at the beginning. And this is not a failure to accept things or complete the grief process - because "complete" and "grief process" really don't belong in the same sentence. I think there will always be times when I feel clumsy and awkward like an amateur griever.

My mother physically raised me until she left this Earth when I was 24. Her love and example continued to shape who I was at 30 and am at 40. We are so intrinsically linked; it's illogical to think the scars of this loss wouldn't remain tender forever. Even my most profound and comforting connections are simultaneously points that cause me pain because they remind me of something undefinably precious. And absolutely no amount of processing and coping can ever make the reality that my mother is gone feel positive or good.

There's some relief in understanding that feeling this way is normal. And as happy as I am that you and I get that grief never ends, it's still hard to live in a society that doesn't. It makes it harder for us to accept ourselves and the good and bad of our ongoing grief when we live in a society that suggests we should actually work harder to resolve our "negative" feelings away.

We have to stop thinking about grief as something with an end destination. And we need to stop believing that feeling sad is bad. The goal of grief isn't to polish it until it shines with the lightness and promise of something new. Instead, we should hope for the courage to live alongside grief and understand it's an active part of what comes next. Sometimes this looks pretty, like growth and connection, and sometimes it looks ugly.

I am who I am because of my mother's life and because of her death. These two points will never stop being a part of my ongoing story. Can I live my life without her? Yes. Can I still find a sense of purpose, meaning, peace, and happiness? Yes. But there will always be a sense of loss because she's gone. And this is as it should be.

So, if you get the chance, spread the word--grief never ends, and that's okay.

P.S: Some of you may be struggling with the idea of grieving forever because, well, grief can be a nightmare. You need to know; it does get easier as you find ways to cope with your experiences and, hopefully, support. Many people also find comfort in ongoing connections with the loved one who died. If you are looking for reassurance, here are a few articles about how our relationship with grief and deceased loved ones can change.

We invite you to share your experiences, questions, and resource suggestions with the WYG community in the discussion section below.

We invite you to share your experiences, questions, and resource suggestions with the WYG community in the discussion section below.

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for over a decade, we finally wrote a tangible,
real-life book!

After writing online articles for What’s Your Grief for over a decade, we finally wrote a tangible, real-life book!

What’s Your Grief? Lists to Help you Through Any Loss is for people experiencing any type of loss. This book discusses some of the most common grief experiences and breaks down psychological concepts to help you understand your thoughts and emotions. It also shares useful coping tools, and helps the reader reflect on their unique relationship with grief and loss.

You can find What’s Your Grief? Lists to Help you Through Any Loss wherever you buy books:

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46 Comments on "Grief Never Ends, and That's Okay."

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  1. J P  February 6, 2022 at 2:48 pm Reply

    Does… whether your focused on family and friends or the one you love most, I’m thinking of you today and I’m here if you want to talk.

  2. J P  February 6, 2022 at 2:40 pm Reply

    I want to sent cards to my fellow widows for Valentine’s day…any idea what I could write inside? I don’t want to be flip and I don’t think it should be a sympathy card…. but maybe it should. I can’t think clear as to what I would want to receive…help!

    • April  August 23, 2022 at 10:47 pm Reply

      You’re intentions are lovely but I would cringe receiving a Valentines card from anyone other than my child. Please don’t 💙 #AllTooExperiencedWidow

  3. Donna Gallon  December 7, 2021 at 12:07 am Reply

    My husband of 49 years passed away oct 29th, it’s going on 6 weeks. He had been ill for along time. He had Parkinsons. He fell and broke his hip 2 years ago and never recovered. He was bedridden since his hip replacement. I cared for him nearly a year before placing him in a group home. He declined rapidly cognitively. It was very difficult, I didn’t really realize how much he was declining until the end. He had lost 60 lbs, couldn’t talk, slept most of the time, in the end he chocked on baby food. I thought I had prepared myself. I feel like I’m going crazy, like a deflated balloon. I don’t sleep, get up in the middle of the night and clean. I’m so mentally and physically exhausted. I’m seeing a grief counselor, it’s such and effort to actually get dressed to go see her, I don’t think it’s helping. I’m just want to be left alone, but I’m so lonely at the same time. Everyone thinks I’m doing okay, they have no clue how I really feel. Does this sadness ever get better?

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    • paul ziemnicki  March 21, 2022 at 2:42 pm Reply

      I lost my wife 2-9-2021 it dosen’t get better for me.I’m “ok” for a day or two then i’ll see something she bought or something she liked and i’ll cry like a baby.We were married 46 years. Nobody understands unless youve been there.She was my best friend and rock.All my friends are dead.If i dont wake-up in morning thats all good. I hope you find some peace.I havent. God Bless.

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    • Nancy  June 27, 2022 at 11:35 pm Reply

      Dear Donna,
      I lost my husband of 34 years in 2020. Your words sound so similar. In the end,he couldn’t speak, eat, etc. I just wanted you to know that I understand and that other people are feeling the same things you are. Wishing you peace.

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  4. Judy  November 23, 2021 at 7:58 am Reply

    It has been 10 months since my husband of 60 yrs and the pain is so deep l loved him so much everything of his is still were he left it that way l feel he is still here l also talk to him everyday l have a picture of him sitting in his favorite chair that l can look over and talk to him. I think when the love is so deep you grieve for a long time

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  5. paul  November 5, 2021 at 6:31 pm Reply

    Judy,Nancy, and others,my wife Joann passed away Feb.9,2021.After a 2 year battle with appendex cancer;.I told her many times I would trade places with her if I could I really meant it.We were married 46 years.She was my rock and best friend. All my friends are dead , her friends have dissappeard, her family doesn’t even mention her name that’s the part that hurts me the most.I know how you all feel If I go to bed and don’t wake up that’s all good.I’m 75 yrs.old theres nothing left here for me.If you all want to read a really sad poem google If Tomorrow Starts Without ME.BY Erica Shea Liupaeter. Sorry I Wrote so much,at least somebody knows how I feel.Thank You Paul Z

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  6. Skaiva Memyte  November 3, 2021 at 8:50 pm Reply

    My dad passed away yesterday morning I found him in our office chair still warm leaning over the table prior to this happening he was in pain and we thought it was just the flu and that it would pass I went to bed that night not knowing that my last conversation with him would be “are you feeling okay dad” he replied with “yeah” those are the last words I ever spoke to him I woke up to my mum calling me and telling me not to go to school to stay at home with my dad to make sure he’s okay then she called me and told me to go check up on him because he’s not answering his phone I got up right away and walked out of my room into the office I seen him and smiled thinking “he fell asleep in here again ?!” So I went to shake him while laughing and he wouldn’t wake up I started to panic so I shook him harder then I realised his eyes where open and how blue he was his lips where chapped and nose red I took 4 steps back started screaming and shaking ran to get my phone to call the ambulance yelling that I think he’s dead I ran to the neighbours knocked on all doors when one opened I told him I think my dads dead I need help because the ambulance lady told me to move him and I couldn’t touch him or look at him with our wanting to rip my heart out my body refused to let me anywhere near him my mum sped home ran upstairs all I heard where her screams saying “he’s not gone he’s not gone he’s not gone” but he was I was standing in the door way downstairs looking at the ambulance head spinning it’s been 16 hours since my dad has passed and I’ve cried twice I feel numb but this wave of unbearable sadness and emptiness Hits and I don’t know if that’s normal .

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    • Dalila Graham  March 20, 2022 at 10:46 pm Reply

      Hope your okay babes I know what your going thru 🥺😓

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  7. Judy  October 26, 2021 at 3:27 pm Reply

    I lost my husband of 60yrs 10 months ago and l feel worst today than when he passed I cry everyday and l dread the holidays coming up l just want to shut down l just can’t visualize life without him I am almost 82 and don’t have anything to l
    Look forward to without him

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    • Litsa  November 1, 2021 at 10:13 pm Reply

      Judy- I am so incredibly sorry for what you are going through. Your loss is still so new and the holiday season can be so hard. Have you spoken with a therapist or considered a support group for widows. These can both be an incredible source of support in both the loss and restoration pieces of grieving.

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    • Fiona  November 3, 2021 at 6:50 pm Reply

      Hello Judy,
      My best advice would be to take one day at a time and try not to think too much about the future at the moment. I know it’ll be very, very difficult having your first Christmas without your beloved husband, but you’ll get through it. My husband died 2 years ago in September and I spent most of my first Christmas without him alone but that was my choice. It’s how I coped.Don’t have any expectations. Just look after you and do what’s best for you. I, like you, couldn’t see a future without my husband but I’m still here, doing my best to navigate life mostly alone. I wish you the very best.

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  8. Coco  October 22, 2021 at 1:52 am Reply

    I lost my father a year ago and I still can’t believe he’s gone forever. I’m staying at my college campus and here everyone’s life is normal, everyone is excited about festivals, dresses etc whereas my life is scattered. The worst thing is lack of support system. I can’t really share these with my friends, they really don’t understand and their reactions after my share make me more upset. Now I don’t care about my studies or dreams or any festivities. On days like festivals where everyone is happy I miss my father the most. It feels like someone is stabbing me in my heart.

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    • KP  October 26, 2021 at 3:50 am Reply

      Coco,

      I hear you. I lost my dad last month. I’ve been living with my parents ever since the pandemic began. So it is hard to not see him and miss him. When everyone is happy I wonder why I’m feeling low or anxious.

      I haven’t cried a lot when he passed away. I sort of kept it bottled in. Tried to have fun to not think of the loss. But none of that helps. Then I cried. I cry when I miss him. It helps me.

      I also don’t try to push the feelings. Yes I feel crappy. But I’m grieving. I will miss him always. But I want to remember the fun goofy stuff he did. How much he loved me. How he cared for me. And how he would be happy if I were happy.

      So don’t blunt out the sad feelings. It’s ok. Cry when you feel very sad. And do something that your dad would be happy to know — like you are taking care of yourself. You don’t have to “try” to be happy. Just permit yourself to grieve. At some point when we think of our dad, we won’t feel sad, we will feel proud of them. That they were part of our lives, made us who we are and live through us. We will miss them. Always. But we will cherish their memories and our hearts will fill with pride for their presence in our lives.

      Ok?

      Take care!

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    • Candy  November 7, 2021 at 5:24 pm Reply

      My sister died 3 years ago on Nov. 1. This past week has been extremely hard, and today I’m depressed. Looking for reassurance that it will get better. Is this normal?

      • Litsa  November 9, 2021 at 6:35 pm

        Candy, please know this is very normal – there is such a deep myth that grief disappears after a year, but for most people those holidays and special days always bring up the loss and can be sad and painful. This article may also be helpful: https://whatsyourgrief.com/myth-grief-timeline/

  9. Judy  October 19, 2021 at 2:50 pm Reply

    I love hearing other story I thought l was losing my mind since l lost my husband of 60yrs l go in and talk to the container with his remains l feel him around me l still do a lot of crying l was looking at a picture my friends took on our 55 anniversary He looked so good and 5yrs later he is gone l am 82 now and l feel like l have nothing to look forward to l dread the Holidays

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    • Diana Robb Hunter  October 25, 2021 at 8:51 pm Reply

      I understand. I do the same thing with my husband’s remains which are at home with me. He passed over a year ago. I talk with him several times a day. I don’t cry anymore, but I miss him. I keep busy and am just starting to meet new people. The pandemic gave me a shield to hide behind, but now I have to face the world as a single person again, after 45 years of being part of a couple. It’s scary, but worth it, I hope.

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  10. Judy  October 17, 2021 at 10:19 am Reply

    I understand this grief never ends l relate All of my husband clothes are here l go in and smell them Everything is the same as when he passed l cannot give any of things away As long as they are still here l feel him around me

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    • Toni Cicillini-Repoza  October 21, 2021 at 8:56 am Reply

      My name is Toni, and my best friend of 10years passed away March 13,2020 and I have been empty and broken down from the toxic areas I knew he battled,I am just not going to be right again for this empty part of my life, but I have his memory only no goodbye,just a broken heart.

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  11. Vicki  October 16, 2021 at 10:57 am Reply

    I feel the same grief as the author about the death of my mother. It has been 17 years and not a day goes by that I don’t miss her or need to talk to her.
    I have, since her death, lost every other person in my life who has meant something to me.
    I changed, they changed, age changed us all who knows?
    Loss continues by way of beloved pets, my only source of comfort now. 4 days ago I put one to sleep who was suffering.
    To walk this life completely alone is frightening as well as frighteningly sad. Aging is difficult, the world has changed so much since I was young and I am lost as how to connect and not even sure I wish to any longer.
    I am sorry for all those that suffer in silence ( like myself) because others simply don’t understand and many really don’t care to hear it after a certain point. Vicki

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  12. Nancy  October 15, 2021 at 10:53 pm Reply

    It’s been a year since my husband of 34 years passed away. What do I do? He was my life. My”friends “ don’t want to hear that I’m still grieving. I have no one I can talk to when I drink too much. I’m alone

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    • Fiona  October 19, 2021 at 3:01 pm Reply

      Hello Nancy,
      It’s very sad that your friends don’t want to hear that you’re still grieving. They mustn’t have lost anyone very close to them and therefore can’t understand the pain you still feel every day.A year is nothing in terms of loss, particularly losing someone you were married to for 34 years. I know because I lost my husband 2 years ago after 33 years together and the pain of separation is awful. There’s isn’t a day goes by that I don’t think of him and I still cry a lot. Losing your husband is traumatic, painful and very, very lonely. I, like you, often tried to dull the pain with wine but it was only temporary numbing. I came to realise that no matter how many glasses I had, he’d still be gone and nothing I could ever do would change that fact.
      Please take care of yourself. I’m sure your husband would want you to. I’m thinking of you.

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  13. John  October 15, 2021 at 8:48 am Reply

    I lost my wife four years ago and my grief is without end….we had been married 52 years when she died….. I weep when I look in her closet…at her shoes by our bed or her toothbrush still in it’s place in the bathroom and her purse still hanging on the bedroom doorknob where she always left it. I still buy her cards for each birthday, holiday, and anniversary and set them underneath her photo. I had a photo of her printed on canvas and it hangs in our living room….above the mantle filled with her knickknacks. I keep a daily journal for her most days. I speak to her often during the day and night…..in the hope that there is an afterlife, and that she can somehow hear me. Hope is all I have now….hope that I will be with her again someday. I worry that my hope is in vain. I am the only one in the family that mentions her name anymore….and when I do it is like the elephant in the room. Georgette…..your name is always on my lips and in my heart….and I will be loving you forever…..john…

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    • Nancy  October 15, 2021 at 10:59 pm Reply

      I had 34 plus years with my husband and I still talk to him every day since his passing a year ago. I don’t know why we’ve been left behind, but I know there’s some reason we haven’t figured out yet. Please hang in there. Take care.

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    • Fiona  October 18, 2021 at 8:54 am Reply

      Hello John, I lost my husband Robert 2 years ago to cancer and I grieve for him every day and I know that, like you, my grief will never end and I don’t expect it to. It’s something that I will carry with me until the day I die but I’m ok with that. In some ways, I feel more connected to Robert because it’s always there.I honestly don’t believe that we get closure and the grief ends but instead,we learn to live with it. Losing our spouses has such a profound and traumatic effect on the lives that we are forced to live without them so we’ll always feel intense sadness and longing. I still have all my husband’s clothes and personal belongings and each time I open his wardrobe, I break down. Like you, I talk to him all the time and kiss his casket every night before I go to bed. I know that you’ll see Georgette again and I’m sure that she’s with you in your darkest moments, comforting you. She may not be with you in body but she’s right by your side in every other way, still loving you, supporting you and wanting only the best for you and my thoughts are with you too.

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    • Donna  October 27, 2021 at 5:48 pm Reply

      Hey john, I’m sensing a loving human being in you. I lost my husband 10 weeks ago. I’m now a blubbering fool. It’s very fresh and of course I’m crying several times a day . I find myself crying at work and looking for a place to hide to try to get myself together. That doesn’t work. I say stop it, and get it together . Nope, it only makes me cry harder. Thankfully, it’s kinda noisy at work so I thi k nobody hears me. I cant understand people who expect a grieving person to put pictures away. I have my husband’s picture as my home screen and look at it many times a day. It hurts but I cant stop it. I feel for you, john. I can tell you have a lot of love in your heart. I wish you all the best.

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    • bob  October 28, 2021 at 3:52 pm Reply

      john, of course you will see her again and what is more she can see and hear you now she is just in a different plane of existence, we all must go back to the ether one day no matter what certain people choose to believe or not believe, your hope is not in vain, i am getting on a bit now my self and have studied life after death for many decades and without turning this message into a very long one trying to explain how it all works i will just say that yes you will be together again and in the the mean time do still talk to her because she can sense your thoughts on a perceptual level and is well aware of how you feel plus she would not want you to keep your home as a mausoleum to her memory she would want you to move on, but by all means still speak to her because she can sense your every thought and no doubt is quite sorry that you cannot get the grieving over with as the last thing she now wants is for you to be miserable the rest of your life. as for the rest of the family not mentioning her name just forget it they just do not understand that the grieving process goes on sometimes for years, its a sad fact that a lot of people think you should get over someone in a given time frame but it does not work that way and let us not forget that she was more to you than to them, i would suggest that you put her things away but may be leave a photo or trinket on view and may be redecorate as she would want you to move on but don’t worry she will always be there. i suggest you look at may be after life forums for more information and if anyone ever tells you that there is no such thing as life after death just ignore them – its their loss, over 30 years i have studied such phenomena so if you really want to know what happens after so called death do some research. do remember she wants you to be happy- do try to move on- no one says you should forget / you will never do that and rightly so. stay cheerful.

  14. sharon stio  October 12, 2021 at 8:19 pm Reply

    I very much look forward to receiving these emails, they are a source of comfort to me. My wonderful, beautiful son Ed passed almost 3 years ago at age 39–my only child. He was my life. I still have a life but now vastly different without him in it. Two things that help me tremendously–I am part of a small grief group and we have become close friends sharing our stories. And the other thing is that I started writing in a journal 2 weeks after Ed’s death and although I don;t write as often now, it has helped me more than I can say to be able to put on paper how I feel or what I am thinking. Lastly, talk to your loved one–they hear us!

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  15. Viv  October 12, 2021 at 7:23 pm Reply

    This really strikes a chord. My dad died 6, almost 7 years ago. 4 weeks after he died someone told me I shouldn’t still be sad because he wouldnt want me to be and that he’s not suffering anymore so I shouldn’t wish him back to that pain. so since then I’ve had immense guilt everytime I’ve thought of him so I’ve shoved it away. I ended up in tears with my psychologist just this week because I’ve been having crazy nightmares about dad and death on general. My mental health has deteriorated. I miss my dad. I miss his hugs and 6 years on, I feel like people sigh everytime I mention him.

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  16. Gina  October 11, 2021 at 2:20 pm Reply

    My son Eddie suddenly passed 7 1/2 years ago at the age of 24. His loss & the grief is a part of my everyday life – “my grief friend.” Some days I can deal with this friend, others not so much. Tired of hearing I should be “over it & move on you have another child.” I’ll never be over it, never accept it. I miss him every single day.

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  17. Jean Foster  October 9, 2021 at 10:09 am Reply

    My darling Husband passed away in April following a short illness with cancer. I cared for him at home with help and knew from the very first he was terminal. I thought that by knowing that it would help when he did pass but it didn’t. I was fine at first but it seems to be getting worse instead of better. Then in August I had to make the decision to have our Lab Fudge put to sleep as she had breast cancer. This just about finished me off. I had to go back for bereavement counselling. Now I shop,see friends and go about my daily life but I can see nothing ahead for me. I’m getting ready for Christmas with about as much enthusiasm as a zombie. As for the New Year I’m dreading it. I will be 82 soon and although I’m fit and healthy I feel my life is at an end.

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    • pauline Stacey  October 14, 2021 at 11:34 am Reply

      I wonder if our age has anything to do with grieving. not intending, in any way to minimalize
      your suffering.. I am 85 and my dh died 2 years back, and well I wonder why I am so
      , well I hate to admit to depression, but I wonder if for me, it is my age, as I have little to look forward to.. dreading the winter months, let alone Christmas and the New Year.
      wish I had a magic wand for all of us .

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    • Patricia  October 18, 2021 at 11:30 pm Reply

      Dear Jean, and I say dear without knowing you because I believe we are all family in the grief community*

      I just wanted you to know that someone in another country is sending you much light What you are feeling is completely understandable, and human. And I know you are doing your best.

      They say grief is love that has nowhere to go. I’m going through it too, and I realized yesterday that in this painful months whenever I feel better is when I’m supporting, aiding, helping someone else to feel a little better. Maybe just with a genuine comment about something good about them. A small gift. A call,,, I guess I’m just trying to do that with you too ;D

      Grief also shows us how deep we have loved and enmeshed our soul with someone, and therefore the profound pain of their loss. But love is a miracle… we have lived a Miracle*

      Receive warm thoughts and light from Mexico, <3

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  18. Diane  October 9, 2021 at 8:53 am Reply

    Thank you for this article. My younger sister died from a congenital heart condition, 43 years old, in 2012. My Mom died, with COPD, in 2016, with a broken heart missing her daughter. Then my older sister’s husband died in 2020 from aggressive cancer. These losses ushered in a slower, more aware way of life in which I make significant room for grief and mindfulness. I miss them every day, and at the same time, I carry them with me every day, and the love and connection continues and is comforting.

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  19. Clay Lawson  October 8, 2021 at 3:25 pm Reply

    Thank you for this powerful article. I lost my adopted 32 year old daughter to suicide on Aug 9 2020. I accept now my journey will never be over. I try to allow my grief to flow through me as well work to honor Kristin. She battled her demons for most of her life. She was not weak but heroic in her efforts. I know I now will carry that pain for her.

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  20. Val H  October 8, 2021 at 1:02 pm Reply

    Thank you for writing this article. I enjoyed reading it and hearing from another who is still grieving after many years. I wish grief would end because it can be cruel. I lost my Dad 4 months ago and it’s been hard to just move forward without him. It doesn’t help either that I’m next of kin, so I had to get his death certificate, fill out paperwork, etc. while my brother is in prison and I’m estranged from my mother. I just wish I had a different life.

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  21. Nance  October 8, 2021 at 10:15 am Reply

    Thank you for this article. I read every word and for what it’s worth it captured my attention through and through. I lose my sister in June. She was my best friend and even though over two decades we have lived in different cities we remained close as ever. My heart aches for her all the time – I think about all the fun we had as kids and how kind and kid like she was even as a 40 something year old. I think about her body was ravished by cancer and the unfairness of it all. Every day I cry day and night and it’s impacting my work. Grief being here forever scares me to be honest. I don’t know if my body can hand this stress of heartbreak….I wished she was here every single moment of my day.

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  22. Joanna Smith  October 8, 2021 at 9:25 am Reply

    I really appreciate this email, thank you. My mum died when I was 23 then dad when I was 30. I’m now 53 and whilst I am a happy, well rounded (ish) individual and have an amazing life in many ways, with loving husband and 2 amazing daughters, I can own up to still missing my mum. Grief does not end, it has made me who I am and I value life more as a result of my losses, but there are still moments when it surfaces. Not in the messy, howling banshee way it used to, but certain occasions like wishing they were there to see my daughter graduate and feeling a bitter sweetness. I have learned that I can be both happy and sad at the same time, and that’s ok.
    Thsnks again. You do an amazing job, Jo

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  23. Lori Hughes  October 8, 2021 at 6:34 am Reply

    Thank you for your article and for sharing. I lost my mom almost one year ago and I still can’t believe she is gone. My dad is one of those men who has already remarried to deal with his pain. My moms belongings are already gone in one form or another. The house has been redone, I don’t “see” her in her decor, she is becoming a distant memory. I am in counseling and trying to “hurry”, or process the grief…properly, but I think it is something I will have to live with. It’s me that wants to hurry the grief process because I hate the feelings….it’s scary, makes me angry, so very sad…all of it. I could scream, and I do. What a devastation it is!! This is a portion of my grief, while watching my dad go through such sorrow and pain, and now his new life. This is life though. Thank you for listening.

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    • Val H  October 8, 2021 at 12:57 pm Reply

      Hi Lori, just wanted to say that you are not alone. I also feel that I need to rush through my grief. I think I tell myself to “get over it” or that I cannot be sad. I lost my Dad 4 months ago and it’s been hard too.

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      • Fiona F  October 18, 2021 at 3:26 pm

        Hello Val,
        I don’t think you can ‘get over’ grief. Instead, you ‘ get through it’ although I believe it stays with you. I lost my husband to cancer 2 years ago and my mum the same way 6 months ago so life has been incredibly difficult for me. I am learning to live with my grief and have accepted that it’s a part of me now. I expect it to diminish over time but I know for certain that it’ll always be with me.

        1
  24. pauline Stacey  October 8, 2021 at 3:29 am Reply

    just read the article above, and this is so true! but mostly I am not sad at my mother no longer being with me physically. Actually, reading this article, made me realise where I am.
    my mother died, gosh,must be 50 years ago now… and she has always been near me, sometimes, closer, other times.. well I lived my life, but yes, she brought me up, so we are inextricably linked.. for all the sadness over the years, I think those of us who feel this, are blessed.. I know of people who had little or no love from their mothers or fathers, and therefore do not have this comfort.. cos thinking of it, it is a comfort

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  25. Rosanna Bishop  October 8, 2021 at 3:28 am Reply

    My precious Mother passed away 3 days before Christmas and my older Sister 9 months before that (not covid-19). I miss them both so much it HURTS. I NEVER want to leave the house anymore. I have God in my life, but I feel such an emptyness that I think I can never be happy ever again. Life has changed FOREVER. I want them back! I want to be happy, but how can I be happy when you love someone so much and they’re just gone!

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  26. Raam GES  October 8, 2021 at 3:18 am Reply

    The Blog is splendid. Calling a spade a spade.i was bereaved an year back when my beloved wife passed away…
    i seem tolove her more now than in the 27 years of lefe we had together. In fact if i don’t look at her Photo obn my Cell for more that a few hours together, i feel guilty ! The Article softens the guilt attached to feeling the grief after “One Year ‘ Thanks.

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