Breathing through Grieving

06/14/2026

06/12/2026

Society can be tough on the grieving. The window of sympathy is much shorter than the experience of grieving for something or someone actually is.

And as so many of you know, grief can become part of your life for the rest of your days. Yet we live in a world that often expects grievers to rush through their grief. To get over it and move on. To go back to a normal that has completely changed and no longer exists in the same way as before.

Here's the thing. There is no completely getting over and moving on from a devastating loss that completely uproots life as you know it and turns it upside down. There is no forgetting or going back to what was. And while you can absolutely move forward, people can't move forward to the same exact life they had hoped for and dreamed of.

A devastating loss changes life in both big and small ways. It's challenging to wake up one morning and feel like nothing is familiar and nothing feels the same.

So no, there is no getting over it and completely moving on. Grievers can learn to live with loss and move forward carrying their grief. With time, you will slowly start to adapt to all that's changed and rebuild what will be a different life.

And as hard as it can be to believe or see - it's possible for grief to co-exist with peace, happiness and joy. It's possible for life to be good again. Even if deep grief is part of it.

Don't listen to the expectations of others. Listen to your own heart and know you are not doing anything wrong. Grieve in whatever way feels right for you and know I"m here to listen and stand by your side.

With love - michele

06/09/2026

This!!

I have no idea what “normal” feels like and I never will again since my child passed away…

06/04/2026

💔💔💔

05/20/2026

I have done this 💔
Missing my son terribly 💔

05/13/2026

Grief can make you so incredibly tired.

And I’m not talking about the kind of tired that a cup of coffee, a nap, or even a full night of sleep can fix. I mean the kind of exhaustion that settles deep inside you. The kind that comes from carrying pain, sadness, memories, longing, and heartache all at once.

It’s a kind of tired that people don’t always see,
but those of us who’ve lived through deep loss know it well.

When I was deep in my own grief, people would sometimes say things like, “You should try to get some rest,” and I know they meant well. But grief doesn’t always let you rest, even when you need it. You can lie down, close your eyes, and still feel your mind racing through memories, regrets, unanswered questions, and all the things you wish had gone differently.

Here’s the thing…you can be physically exhausted and still unable to find any real peace.

That’s one of the hard parts about grief. It doesn’t just break your heart. It drains you emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually.

I remember days when even the smallest things felt overwhelming. There were times when getting dressed felt like too much. Taking a shower felt like work. Making something to eat felt like an accomplishment. And instead of being gentle with myself and recognizing that I was doing the best I could, I would sometimes feel frustrated that I wasn’t doing more.

I think a lot of grieving people do that.

We judge ourselves by the standards of the world around us,
even when we’re carrying something incredibly heavy inside.

Grief slows everything down while our minds are just trying to make sense of something that feels impossible. Our bodies are carrying the weight of stress, sorrow, and survival every single day.

That takes energy. A lot of energy!

If you’ve been feeling tired in your grief, I hope you’ll stop and remind yourself that there’s a reason.

You’re not lazy.
You’re not weak.
You’re not failing.

You’re grieving.

Gary Sturgis
Author: ‘SURVIVING GRIEF – 365 Days A Year’

05/12/2026

All the time 💔💔💔