Living with Grief: Finding a New Identity

I thought I’d grieve for a while and then move on.
But grief isn’t something you walk away from — it’s something you carry.

Grief doesn’t just come from death.
It can come from the loss of a marriage, a job, a friendship, a version of life you thought you'd be living.
Whatever the cause, the ache is real — and it reshapes you.

Sometimes it’s heavy. Sometimes it’s quiet.
Sometimes it shows up in the grocery store when you pass something familiar.
Or in silence… when everything feels unfamiliar.

Grief isn’t just about what’s gone.
It’s about losing the you that existed before the loss.

And maybe that’s the hardest part:
Not knowing who you are now.
Or what comes next.

💡 If You’re In That In-Between Place

• You don’t have to rush to “be okay.”
  Healing doesn’t follow a calendar.
• You are not who you were — and that’s okay.
  Identity after loss doesn’t have to look like the old version of you.
  It just has to feel honest.
• You can miss what was… and still make room for what could be.
  That’s not betrayal. That’s growth.

Gentle Support for This Chapter - Grief Isn’t Something You Live Through — It’s Something You Live With (Tiny Buddha)

🌱 Still Growing
You’re not “moving on.”
You’re becoming someone new.
And that is nothing to be ashamed of.