An Introduction to Grief: Honoring Loss, Inviting Healing
Guest Post by Julie Interrante, MA
June 10, 2025
Grief is a natural, emotional response to profound life changes. It may arise from the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, the end of a meaningful relationship, a rupture in community—or from a health crisis or medical trauma. Grief is not limited to mourning a death; it often emerges when life as we knew it is altered beyond recognition.
For those facing illness or navigating a medical diagnosis, grief can come in waves: the loss of physical ability, independence, identity, or the imagined future. At the same time, caregivers—partners, spouses, children, friends—may also be grieving. They may mourn the shift in roles, the exhaustion, the uncertainty, and the ache of watching someone they love suffer. In this way, grief is not confined to one person’s experience. It becomes part of the relationship, reshaping bonds and revealing both strain and tenderness.
Grief is not a detour or a mistake—it is a normal and necessary part of being human. When we allow ourselves to acknowledge grief, we open a doorway into deeper connection with our own hearts and the experiences that have shaped us. In this way, grief can serve as a bridge: one that honors where we’ve been while gently guiding us toward who we are becoming.
You may have heard that grief follows a series of stages, eventually leading to closure or resolution. But in reality, grief rarely moves in a straight line. It is messy—like life itself. One day may feel tender and reflective, while the next feels raw, chaotic, or numb. Emotions like sadness, anger, fear, confusion, and longing may wash over us again and again. This is not a sign that something is wrong, but rather that something deeply meaningful has been touched.
Grief breaks our hearts open—not to destroy us, but to invite transformation. When we give ourselves space to feel, express, and be witnessed in our sorrow, we make room for healing. We begin to integrate the loss into the story of our lives rather than trying to “get over it.”
If you are grieving now—whether silently or aloud—pause and notice: what is asking for your tenderness today?
