“Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.” — Shunryu Suzuki
Grieving parents often struggle with the imperfect nature of memory. We want to remember our child with clarity, but details fade. Some memories arrive distorted, covered in emotion or guilt. The perfect image we long for never quite appears. We search for a pure moment, something untouched by regret or pain. Yet grief itself distorts time. Grief brings moments of anger, confusion, and even numbness. And still, within all that imperfection, love continues to live. The love remains steady, even when our hearts tremble.
Many grieving parents wish they had done something differently. The past becomes a mirror filled with imagined corrections. The mind replays every decision and interaction. We want to rewrite the story and remove every flaw. But perfection never existed in life, and it does not exist in loss. Human love has always been messy, uncertain, and flawed. But human love is also deep, loyal, and true. Within the imperfect reality of our grief, there remains the perfect truth of our love.
Some people try to fix the pain with forced meaning or polished answers. Many grieving parents know better. Life breaks in many places. Real healing does not demand perfection. Real healing happens when we allow sorrow and love to exist side by side. Grief teaches that imperfection can hold sacred beauty. A trembling hand can still comfort. A broken voice can still speak truth. The reality of loss hurts deeply—but within that reality, love keeps shining.
Thought for today: Let go of the need for perfect memories or perfect healing. Love remains perfect, even in sorrow.