Letting Go Gracefully: notes from this season in my life

“Rather than close ourselves to grief, it helps to realize that we only grieve for what we love.”— Ram Dass

This quote is really hitting home for me lately.

These words remind me that grief is an extension of love- that it only exists because of love.

Grief doesn’t only visit us when we lose people. It can arise when we lose pets, jobs, relationships, dreams, or simply the versions of ourselves that once were. Our culture tends to reserve grief for funerals, but so much heartbreak happens behind closed doors in the form of transitions, disappointments, and endings that no one else marks.

I lost my mom last month. Even with the deep love and support of family and friends, I’m learning that nothing truly prepares you for the loss of a parent. There’s the loss of the person you loved, yes...but what’s surprised me most are all the other threads of grief woven through it.

It’s not just the realization that I’ll never talk to my mom again. It’s the ache of not being able to share the books I’m reading or tell her that I finally started watching that show she recommended (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel). It’s grieving the old aspects of our relationship- the things we did together when I was younger and will never do again.

Small moments in my day-to-day life can catch me off guard. Today, it was the changing of the leaves — the kind of fiery gold and crimson she would’ve adored. I found myself taking photos of the trees, knowing I would’ve sent them to her.

It seems paradoxical that love and loss coexist this way… but it’s actually not.

It’s a reminder that they are one and the same. And in that way, grief has become one of my most beautiful teachers.

It would be so easy to turn toward every article and framework about grief- to search for the “right” way to move through it. Instead, I’ve been practicing staying present with my experience.

For me, that’s looked like slowing down, turning inward, and letting this process be private and tender for a while.

And in those quiet moments, when I ask myself, “Where is my pleasure in all of this?” I remember that this very presence and deep intentionality is also part of my pleasure.

I’m learning to feel grief and pleasure not as opposites, but as companions holding hands, walking this path together.

As I adjust to my new normal, it doesn’t feel like I’m “moving on.”It feels like I’m “moving with”- moving with all the new aspects of myself that are emerging, and continuing to release what’s naturally falling away.

If you’re also in a season of letting go, consider grabbing a copy of The Autumn Journal. Letting go can feel tender and challenging, but it’s such a vital part of the cycle.

As we release what no longer serves us, we create space for:

🍁 New habits and patterns that align with our intentions

🍁 Opportunities that reflect who we’re becoming

🍁 Expression of our most authentic selves

🍁 Deeper focus on our true desires

Know that I’m journaling right alongside you in this season of my life- shedding, softening, and remembering the beauty in the letting go.

Get your copy of The Autumn Journal here.