Your pain does not need to look like anyone else’s to be real. Some people cry loudly. Some grieve in silence. Some collapse. Some keep going. All of it is valid. Your grief is yours alone.
It’s tempting to escape what hurts—but temporary numbness often creates deeper wounds later. You deserve real healing, not borrowed peace that fades and leaves more pain behind.
Grief can cloud your thoughts and pull you toward sudden choices. If you can, pause. Give yourself time before making decisions that cannot easily be undone. Let your heart steady first.
Grief lives in the body too—through exhaustion, loss of appetite, tension, and illness. Try, gently, to care for yourself. Drink water. Eat what you can. Rest when your body asks you to. Survival is enough for now.
Some people mean well but speak too soon. “Be strong.” “Move on.” “Everything happens for a reason.” You are not required to match their expectations. Your grief belongs to you.
Guilt often follows loss—but it does not mean you are at fault. You loved the best you could with the knowledge and strength you had at the time. That is enough. You are enough.
