A conversation about grief.

Let’s talk about it. [It is our honor to suggest that hope and help are real. ]( [It is our honor to suggest that hope and help are real. ]( [An invitation to experience grief however you need to.] Grief is something we will likely all face at some point in our lives. It may be one of the heaviest things that we as humans all carry. As we move through the holidays, we are reminded of those who won't be sitting at the table with us. We are reminded of dreams that never transpired and parts of our reality that we wish didn’t exist. It may even be true that these feelings of pain are just as prominent right now as joy and celebration. It’s OK to acknowledge that truth. So here is your invitation to experience grief as you need to. Even if you feel like what you’re dealing with is too much for others to hold, let them hold it with you anyway. You are not too broken or messy to receive love and support. Let others into your story and embrace the value of doing life with community—especially in seasons of grief. [The stages of grief are not a checklist.] [Grief is a universal emotion.] [Grief is not linear.] [Grief is not something to avoid or try to rush.] The truth about grief. Grief is like a sponge. The sponge holds all of our feelings and emotions tight. If we struggle with things like sadness, anger, numbness, or impulsivity on a “normal” day, grief will hold onto those things until they seem to weigh us down and drip onto every part of our lives. It may even present us with emotions that we’ve never felt before, which can be scary. Grief is heavy. And when we are holding grief, it can be hard to remember that the weight is not ours to carry alone. It’s OK to squeeze the sponge and let all of the messy parts be seen and felt. It takes time. It can be painful. It’s never something you have to face alone. There is not a single emotion that doesn’t connect with grief in some way. Grief is not an island. It does not exist on its own, it clings to whatever it can find. There can be a lot of shame when it comes to grief. There can be shame when you don’t feel the way you think you’re supposed to, or when your grief makes things you enjoyed previously, like holidays or traditions, much harder to get through. We’re here to tell you that no matter what you feel, you are not bad, wrong, or shameful. You are a human dealing with a very complex and difficult thing. Give yourself grace and kindness wherever you can. Grief can also come to us after the loss of different things. It is not limited to the experience of losing a person you love. It can appear from the loss of places, relationships, concepts, and experiences, too. Depending on who or what was lost and the context of that relationship, the way you feel and process grief may be unique. Don’t discount the things you feel even if you don’t think a loss was “big enough” for grief. Whether you’re feeling grief for the first time, or it’s something you’ve traveled through before, we know it can feel as though you’re climbing up a new mountain every single day. From one day to the next, grief can transform. It can go away, sometimes for weeks, months, or even years, just to come back on a sunny spring day in the middle of lunch. And no matter when, how, or why it hits, it is valid and deserves to be acknowledged. [An invitation to experience grief however you need to.]( Grief is something we will likely all face at some point in our lives. It may be one of the heaviest things that we as humans all carry. As we move through the holidays, we are reminded of those who won't be sitting at the table with us. We are reminded of dreams that never transpired and parts of our reality that we wish didn’t exist. It may even be true that these feelings of pain are just as prominent right now as joy and celebration. It’s OK to acknowledge that truth. So here is your invitation to experience grief as you need to. Even if you feel like what you’re dealing with is too much for others to hold, let them hold it with you anyway. You are not too broken or messy to receive love and support. Let others into your story and embrace the value of doing life with community—especially in seasons of grief. [The stages of grief are not a checklist. ] [Grief is a universal emotion.] [Grief is not linear. ] [Grief is not something to avoid or try to rush.] The truth about grief. Grief is like a sponge. The sponge holds all of our feelings and emotions tight. If we struggle with things like sadness, anger, numbness, or impulsivity on a “normal” day, grief will hold onto those things until they seem to weigh us down and drip onto every part of our lives. It may even present us with emotions that we’ve never felt before, which can be scary. Grief is heavy. And when we are holding grief, it can be hard to remember that the weight is not ours to carry alone. It’s OK to squeeze the sponge and let all of the messy parts be seen and felt. It takes time. It can be painful. It’s never something you have to face alone. There is not a single emotion that doesn’t connect with grief in some way. Grief is not an island. It does not exist on its own, it clings to whatever it can find. There can be a lot of shame when it comes to grief. There can be shame when you don’t feel the way you think you’re supposed to, or when your grief makes things you enjoyed previously, like holidays or traditions, much harder to get through. We’re here to tell you that no matter what you feel, you are not bad, wrong, or shameful. You are a human dealing with a very complex and difficult thing. Give yourself grace and kindness wherever you can. Grief can also come to us after the loss of different things. It is not limited to the experience of losing a person you love. It can appear from the loss of places, relationships, concepts, and experiences, too. Depending on who or what was lost and the context of that relationship, the way you feel and process grief may be unique. Don’t discount the things you feel even if you don’t think a loss was “big enough” for grief. Whether you’re feeling grief for the first time, or it’s something you’ve traveled through before, we know it can feel as though you’re climbing up a new mountain every single day. From one day to the next, grief can transform. It can go away, sometimes for weeks, months, or even years, just to come back on a sunny spring day in the middle of lunch. And no matter when, how, or why it hits, it is valid and deserves to be acknowledged. You are not alone. There are so many people who have walked in your shoes before and will walk in them again. There is support to be found in a community of grieving people. When you realize you are not the only one, shame shrinks and you see how healing is possible. We hope you can find comfort and encouragement in the stories below. [Grief: What's Loved, Lost, and Left Podcast Episode]( [''Grief and Knowing the Sun Will Rise Again'' blog]( [''Ritual of Grief'' blog]( You are not alone. There are so many people who have walked in your shoes before and will walk in them again. There is support to be found in a community of grieving people. When you realize you are not the only one, shame shrinks and you see how healing is possible. We hope you can find comfort and encouragement in the stories below. [Grief: What's Loved, Lost, and Left Podcast Episode](   [Suicide Loss: Remembering How They Lived Podcast Episode](   [''Grief and Knowing the Sun Will Rise Again'' by Nicole Jones]( [''A Lesson on Loss'' by Kartika Ladwal]( [''Ritual of Grief'' by Kendra Larsen]( [READ MORE]( Your story is important. If you’ve walked through grief and want to share your journey with others, we encourage you to submit your story for the TWLOHA Blog. These pieces can be between 400-900 words (no PDFs) and should be sent to our editorial team at blog@twloha.com for consideration. (Please note this is a volunteer-based opportunity.) [Grief is heavy. Remember the weight is not yours to carry alone.] Working with a professional to manage and process grief can help create a safe space for the things you feel. Whether one-on-one with a counselor or in a support group setting, your pain deserves to be seen and heard. If you’re interested in exploring options near you, you can use our FIND HELP Tool to search by zip code and filter for the kind of care you’re looking for. There is no timeline for facing this, and much of this healing may not be linear. Showing up is more than enough. We see you and we’re proud of you. [EXPLORE THE RESOURCES]( [READ MORE]( Your story is important. If you’ve walked through grief and want to share your journey with others, we encourage you to submit your story for the TWLOHA Blog. These pieces can be between 400-900 words (no PDFs) and should be sent to our editorial team at blog@twloha.com for consideration. (Please note this is a volunteer-based opportunity.) [Grief is is heavy. Remember the weight is not yours to carry alone.] Working with a professional to manage and process grief can help create a safe space for the things you feel. Whether one-on-one with a counselor or in a support group setting, your pain deserves to be seen and heard. If you’re interested in exploring options near you, you can use our FIND HELP Tool to search by zip code and filter for the kind of care you’re looking for. There is no timeline for facing this, and much of this healing may not be linear. Showing up is more than enough. We see you and we’re proud of you. [EXPLORE THE RESOURCES]( [Hope is real. Help is real. 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