Grief changes like the seasons, and it comes around just as surely. In the aftermath of loss, we feel numb, in shock, unable to process thoughts or complete tasks.
Emotional and physical paralysis may be the norm. When we do start easing back into our life, our movements can feel robotic and programmed; even so, it feels like progress.
We might not be feeling anything emotionally, but moving our body and pretending that things are normal occasionally can feel scary, like we are dismissing our grief and the thing or person we are grieving. That feels like betrayal to us.
Timelines vary, but eventually we find ourselves feeling a little lighter, and after a while, lighter still. It might take a long time before we smile or laugh again, but one day we will.
It's important to know that we can be plunged back into fulsome grief at any time, and after a few rounds, a few seasons of the ups and downs, we will find our footing in our new normal. Life after whatever or whomever we lost will be forever different, but it's still our life, and we will find a way to live it.