“Life achieves its summit when it does to the uttermost that which it was equipped to do.” — Jack London
Grief can make life feel unfinished. The loss of a child leaves many parents questioning the purpose of everything. Each day may feel like survival. The summit Jack London speaks of may seem impossible from the valley of sorrow. Yet, even in profound grief, life continues. Grieving parents still breathe. Grieving parents still love. Grieving parents still notice beauty, though often through tears. Life may no longer look like it once did, but it still has meaning. The summit of a soul may not be success—it may be endurance.
A grieving parent is equipped with something powerful: love that refuses to fade. That love can become purpose. That purpose does not need to look like achievement. Purpose can take the form of showing up. Purpose can be listening to another grieving parent without rushing them to heal. Some days, the summit is simply rising from bed. Other days, the summit is found in helping someone else carry their grief. Grieving equips the heart with tenderness and understanding. Those qualities become the tools to keep climbing.
No parent wants to be shaped by loss, but loss changes every part of us. Many grieving parents begin again—not because they are healed, but because love demands it. The summit is not about escaping grief. The summit is learning to carry grief with dignity. When we give our sorrow a voice, we honor our child. That voice becomes a legacy of care. That legacy touches others who feel alone. Even broken hearts can guide others toward light.
Thought for today: Let grief become purpose. Every small act of love honors the summit your heart was built to reach.