Grief has a way of stealing time. It lingers in the spaces where joy should be, whispering about what’s missing instead of what remains. For a long time, I let it dictate my life—dwelling on the moments I lost, the lessons I never got, the presence that should have been there.
But grief, if you let it, can also be a teacher.
Yes, I lost my mom, and that loss shaped me. But I also gained resilience, independence, and a deep appreciation for the experiences in my life. It took me years to understand that grieving what should have been kept me from embracing what could be.
I won’t let grief rob me of any more life experiences. I won’t let it tell me that loss is the only story I have. Because while grief changes you, it doesn’t have to define you. And in learning that, I’ve found a kind of peace, not by forgetting, but by moving forward with gratitude for what I do have and determination for what I want to create.
