10/18/2026
Finding the words to describe the challenging emotions felt when someone you deeply love dies is hard. The depths of sorrow run so deep that it can feel as if a large hole was blown right through your heart.
Certain deaths hit harder than others. Two weeks ago, my siblings and I lost our mother, who passed away unexpectedly after a short bout of illness. When her last breath was taken, there was a moment when I felt like my last breath had been taken too.
The world went strangely silent that day, and in some ways has been ever since. My body, although it wants to move forward, senses an emptiness, as though part of me is gone too.
In my grieving process, I have finally started to find some relief, recognizing that the heaviness of grief can co-exist with a sense of peace.
When I think back to the final hours of my mother’s life, I find comfort in knowing she was surrounded by her loved ones and, in her own way, was able to say goodbye. She left this world peacefully, one hand in mine and the other in my brother's. Although she’s no longer with us, the love and memories will always remain.
Something we sometimes forget after a significant loss is that it’s okay to smile again. It’s okay to laugh again. It’s okay to find moments of peace. Moving forward does not mean you are any less sad; it just means the grief is shifting, and you are learning to carry it along with life, love, and everything else you are feeling.
XO
Tiffany
