There is a misconception that when a “new beginning” comes—a new year, a new job, a new relationship, a new chapter—grief must be buried, packed away, or “gotten over.” But the truth is this: grief comes with you. It packs itself into the quiet corners of transition and makes its presence known even in moments of hope.
Grief is not a season with a tidy end date. It becomes a companion—a quiet one, but persistent. And when life ushers you into something new, that grief doesn’t just vanish. It comes along, shaped by the love you carry and the loss you’ve endured.
The Lie of the Clean Slate
You may feel pressure—whether internal or external—to “start fresh.” But that can feel like betrayal to the memory of who or what you’ve lost. The idea that you must leave grief behind to truly embrace what’s next is not only unrealistic, it’s unkind to the truth of your journey.
New beginnings don’t erase the old pain. They reveal new ways to carry it.
They allow room for you to discover that you are not just broken—you are becoming. Not just wounded—you are walking. Not just mourning—you are still moving forward, even with tears in your eyes.
Permission to Bring It With You
Grief might show up in the most unexpected moments—a quiet car ride, a moment of laughter that feels too free, a first step into something you once dreamed about with the person who is no longer here.
And that’s okay.
You don’t need to apologize for the ache.
You don’t have to justify your quiet.
You’re not “ruining the moment” by being human.
Grief may soften over time, but it doesn’t disappear. Instead, it becomes a thread in the fabric of your story—interwoven with the joy, the triumph, the second chances, and the new beginnings.
Embracing Both Grief and Growth
You are allowed to feel both loss and hope at the same time.
You are allowed to grieve what was while stepping into what is.
You are allowed to hold sorrow in one hand and expectation in the other.
This is the tension of healing—not choosing between grief and growth, but learning to carry both. And as you do, you may just discover that you are stronger than you knew, and more whole than you realized.
Selah Moment with Dr. Althea Winifred
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