“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
Grieving parents often wake in fear. The fear may not come from something specific. The fear comes from the unknown. Fear arrives with a racing heart, a shallow breath, and the weight of what can never be fixed. Losing a child breaks the natural order. That break leaves a parent uncertain about everything that once felt solid. Fear feeds on that uncertainty. Fear tells us we will never feel joy again. Fear whispers that no one will understand. Fear builds walls around an already shattered heart.
Grief is heavy, but fear makes grief feel unbearable. Many grieving parents fear being judged. Others fear forgetting the sound of their child’s voice. Some fear their love will fade with time. Fear is not the same as grief. Fear is a response to grief. Fear clouds judgment and isolates the grieving heart. Naming fear gives it less power. Speaking fear out loud allows room for truth. Truth reveals that grief is not weakness. Grief is love in a new form. Love cannot be destroyed by fear.
Parents who grieve do not have to be fearless. Being brave does not mean feeling strong. Being brave means telling the truth about how scared we feel. Courage often looks like getting out of bed when we want to disappear. Courage is showing up with a broken heart. The fear of living without our child may never go away. But love is always stronger than fear. Grief will always hurt, but grief can also be endured.
Thought for today: Acknowledge the fear, but let love speak louder. Grief walks with fear, but love leads the way.