Navigating Grief and Everything That Comes With It

When my dad passed away in March 2021, my world fell apart. Overnight, my life was turned upside down, and in the months that followed, I watched as everything crumbled around me. In addition to navigating my grief, I was responsible for looking after my elderly mother. Even now, two and a half years down the line, I still struggle to navigate my new landscape. It’s much more challenging than I thought it would be.

I don’t think anything can prepare you for losing a loved one. Even if you were expecting it — when it eventually comes, it’s like being hit by a freight train. The bumpy terrain of grief is difficult to navigate, and it never goes away. You somehow learn to live alongside it, tiptoeing around the edges, hoping not to get sucked back into the murky depths.

Grief isn’t linear. It doesn’t glide forwards on a clearly defined path from denial to acceptance. It’s like catching a wave out at sea — skillfully riding the crest one day, crashing and wiping out the next. It’s a rollercoaster of daily emotions, taking one step forwards, followed by two steps back. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I didn’t think it would be so complicated.

Experiencing grief.

Until I lost my dad, I hadn’t had much experience of grief. My grandma died when I was five, so I was too young to…