There comes a moment in every grief journey when you laugh—and immediately feel bad about it. You find joy in something simple—a sunrise, a memory, a child’s smile—and guilt floods your heart like an unwelcome tide.
This week, we pause to talk about the guilt that comes with healing.
Why Does Moving Forward Feel Like Betrayal?
Grief has a strange way of convincing us that happiness dishonors the person or thing we lost. It whispers lies:
“If you really loved them, you wouldn’t smile like that.” “You shouldn’t be enjoying life while they’re gone.” “You’re forgetting too quickly.”
These thoughts may come uninvited, but they are common. And they are untrue.
Joy does not mean you’ve forgotten. Laughter does not mean you’ve moved on in a careless way. Rebuilding your life does not erase your love for what was.
You Are Not Leaving Them Behind
Healing isn’t leaving them behind—it’s learning how to carry them differently. Your grief may change shape, but your love does not disappear. You don’t “get over” someone you deeply loved. You find ways to live while honoring what they meant to you.
Their memory can still live in your home. Their influence can still be heard in your decisions. Their legacy can still inspire your steps.
You’re not replacing them. You’re rediscovering you.
Guilt Is a Roadblock, Not a Tribute
Sometimes we confuse guilt with loyalty. But guilt is not proof of love—it’s proof that you’re human, navigating complex emotions. Love honors. Love builds. Love transforms. It does not imprison.
Your healing is not betrayal. It is brave. And it is necessary.
Living well, after loss, is one of the most profound ways to say, “Thank you for being part of my life. Because of you, I choose to keep living.”
Grief doesn’t end love. But love also doesn’t have to end with grief.
Selah Moment with Dr. Althea Winifred
Next Level 