“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment.” — Lao Tzu
Grief teaches us about others, but it also reveals our truest selves. Parents who lose a child often feel split in two. The person we once were no longer fits. The world moves on, but something inside feels permanently paused. People may look at us and think we are coping. Many do not see the storms we carry inside. Understanding others becomes easier. We begin to see behind smiles and empty words. Suffering makes us more compassionate, more aware of invisible pain.
Grieving parents often feel lost, but grief can also become a mirror. Grief exposes every layer of who we are. The anger, the guilt, the tenderness, the questions—each one asks us to look deeper. We learn how much we can carry. We learn how much we need grace. We begin to meet ourselves with honesty, sometimes for the first time. The reflection may be painful, but it is also sacred. Self-knowledge grows in sorrow’s shadow. That growth becomes a path, even if we walk it slowly.
No parent wants to become wise through loss. But grief opens doors that comfort never could. We become more attuned to the pain of others. We also become more familiar with our own hearts. Knowing others helps us offer love. Knowing ourselves helps us offer it without condition. Healing begins with acceptance—of others, and of ourselves. Enlightenment does not mean answers. Enlightenment begins when we stop running from our own truth.
Thought for today: Let grief be a mirror. In knowing yourself, you honor the child you lost and the love you carry.