The Loss Was Painful But I’m Grateful for the Growth

From the moment I got the call that turned my life upside down, I knew things would be different. I just had no idea how different.

I also didn’t know grief, healing, and growth weren’t as straightforward as all the inspiring comeback stories lead us to believe—and actually, it often felt more like I was running in circles.

I didn’t know I’d have to re-introduce myself to me again, as I had changed to deeply at my core. That I’d have to reorient to my own life, work, and relationships. I didn’t know that I had to dive deep into sadness, to rediscover happiness again.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing glorifying or wonderful about grief and growth. It’s heartbreakingly hard. It forces you to leave behind all that’s known and familiar.

And while I will never be grateful for the loss itself, standing on the other side of it, all I can say is that I’m grateful for the growth. I’m grateful for the me I’ve become and the life and work I’ve created in its wake. But my heart still breaks a little bit more every time I feel it.

I know it’s not easy right now, but you are doing it.
Every day that you show up to feel what you feel, you’re growing and healing.
And soon you will see who you’re becoming in the aftermath.