If you’re reading this it’s likely you’re grieving a loved one. I am sorry for your loss. The sadness feels crushing, and imagining life without your loved one seems impossible. While the weight of grief is heavy, there is hope for life after loss.
In 2019, my parents were in a serious car accident. In a single moment, everything changed. Though they survived, that day marked the beginning of a long season of care-giving, uncertainty, and later heartbreaking loss.
Just a few months later, while still caring for them, I lost a close aunt suddenly and unexpectedly. She passed away only six weeks after being diagnosed with aggressive cancer.
Not long after, my father was diagnosed with cancer as well. He was also living with mixed dementia and Alzheimer’s. My dad fought bravely, but in 2022, he passed away. Shortly before he died, my dog Bella, my loyal companion of over 17 years suddenly passed away in her bed beside me.
Grief runs deep. It reaches into our bodies, our thoughts, our relationships, and even our sense of identity and purpose.
With each loss I didn’t know how to carry the pain. Life kept shifting under my feet, and often I couldn’t see a way through. Maybe you’ve felt that too? Like you’re walking through a fog, unsure if life will ever feel steady or light again. It felt like I lost myself along with those I love.
During this time did a lot of journal writing. In this post, Writing Through Grief: Finding Comfort Through Journaling, I share more of my story.
Over time, I began to see that grief doesn’t disappear, it just changes. The love stays. The memories remain. And somehow, slowly, we surprisingly begin to rise again. These days, I live with moments of hope, renewed purpose, and even glimpses of joy.
Not every day is easy. Some days still bring waves of sorrow and I expect they always will. I’ve learned to welcome those waves rather than resist them. In some strange and sacred way, they bring me closer to the ones I’ve lost.
This post isn’t a checklist to “fix” your grief. Nothing I say can remove your pain or bring your loved one back. Here you’ll find gentle, small ways to care for yourself as you walk your personal and unique journey through grief.
Understanding the Impact of Grief
As you navigate each day, it helps to take a moment and give yourself grace.
Grief touches every part of us, emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. It drains our energy, clouds our thinking, and makes everything familiar feel suddenly foreign. We’re left with a painful emptiness that echoes the depth of our loss.
You may feel like you’ve lost a part of yourself. I did too. You might find yourself asking, Who am I now without them? On the hardest days, it can seem like hope and the idea of living fully again is out of reach.
But over time, we’re reminded that healing doesn’t mean forgetting. It means learning to live again with our grief, not beyond it or without it. Grief becomes part of our story, not the whole of it. And slowly, the weight begins to feel a little less heavy. The intensity softens. We begin to carry it differently as we continue our journey through loss.
Allow Yourself to Grieve
Give yourself permission to feel everything. Grief is not something to fix or rush through. It’s something to feel, hold, and move through at your own pace.
Cry when you need to. Sit with your sorrow. Let the tears come, or the silence speak. You don’t have to be strong for anyone else. Your heart is doing the hard work of carrying love and loss at the same time.
Remember the love you shared. Let it remind you that your grief is a reflection of that love. Learning to live with grief begins when we stop suppressing our pain and start honoring the truth of our feelings.
Find Comfort in Small Routines
When grief makes life feel uncertain, small daily routines can offer gentle stability.
A warm cup of tea in the morning. A short walk in the fresh air. Lighting a candle at sunset. Reading or listening to something that brings you comfort.
These small moments can become anchors in your day. They remind you that while everything has changed, not everything is lost. Life still moves forward, even in sorrow.
Simple routines can help you find your footing again. It comes softly, slowly, and at your own pace.
Connect with Others
Grief can feel isolating, but you don’t have to go through it alone.
Reach out to those who care, whether it’s a friend, a family member, church events, or a support group. Sometimes, just having someone sit with you in silence or listen to your memories can bring a deep sense of comfort. You don’t need to have the right words. Love still surrounds you, even when it feels distant.
Let others walk with you, even if just for a little while.
Creativity While in Grief
Grief often brings emotions too big for words. Creative expression can offer a way to release what’s been held inside.
Through journal writing, painting, music, writing poetry, or crafting something in memory of your loved one. There’s no right or wrong way to do this. Let your heart lead. It’s not about the final product, but about the healing that can happen in the process.
Self Care During the Difficult Times
Grief takes a toll not only by breaking our heart, but on the body and mind.
You may feel exhausted, forgetful, anxious, or unable to rest. That’s all part of the process. Try to nourish your body with good food, stay hydrated, and rest when you need to. Take gentle walks or stretch. If needed, speak with a counselor or mental health professional.
Self-care is not selfish. It’s a form of love for yourself and for the one you’ve lost. When you care for yourself, you’re making space to keep going, one moment at a time.
Keeping Their Memory Alive
Remembering our loved ones them carries their love forward in comforting ways.
Whether through simple creative expressions or other actions inspired by who they were while here. These gestures help us feel their presence and keep them close.
Lighting a candle on their birthday. Cooking their favorite meal. Creating a memory book. Continuing a tradition they cherished. These small but meaningful things help your heart move forward with love. Allowing you the space to honor and continually remember the life they lived. Grief may change, but love remains.
Open Your Heart to Hope
Hope doesn’t mean you’re “over it.” It means believing that light can shine through, even in sorrow.
Some days, hope looks simply like getting out of bed. Other days, it might mean smiling at a memory or laughing again. These moments matter. Hope is not the absence of grief. It’s the gentle presence of possibility that joy and sorrow coexists. A reminder that life can still hold meaning, even after great loss.
Leaning on Your Faith
For those of us of faith, we move forward with the hope of being reunited with our loves ones in Heaven. What a beautiful reunion that will be!
Faith is our lifeline when everything else feels lost. When words fall short and sorrow is too deep, turning to prayer, scripture, or quiet reflection can bring comfort. Trusting in God’s presence reminds us we are not alone. He is near to the brokenhearted, even in the silence. Faith doesn’t erase the pain, but it can hold us steady as we walk through it.
For me, there is deep comfort in the promise that I will one day see my loved ones again. This eternal hope doesn’t make the pain vanish, but it gives me strength to face each day. My faith helps me rise,even in grief, with the quiet assurance that their love never truly ends.
Moving Forward: Life After Loss
Life after loss is not about going back to who you were.
It’s about becoming someone new with the love and lessons of those you’ve lost carried within you. Finding purpose might look different now.
For some, it’s helping others. For others, it’s living more intentionally, embracing beauty in the small things, or simply continuing to show up each day.
You may not feel strong right now, and that’s okay. Strength in grief is not loud or heroic. It’s quiet. It’s choosing to keep going, even when your heart is still breaking.
You Can Rise Again with Hope, Meaning, and Purpose After Loss
Loss changes us, but it doesn’t have to define us. The love we carry doesn’t disappear. It does transform us. And slowly, in our own time, we can learn to live again. You can learn to live with the grief, with the love, and with hope. Each day, even in small ways, you can rise again.
- Coping with Hope: Ways to Care for Yourself While Grieving - May 19, 2025
- Writing Through Grief: Finding Comfort in Journaling - March 25, 2025
- Simple Ways to Brighten a Tough Day - March 25, 2025