“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” — Abraham Lincoln
Grief brings a collapse that feels internal. The world outside continues to spin, but something inside has gone silent. For grieving parents, that silence can feel like destruction. The loss of a child shakes our foundations. But no outside force can cause the same pain as the absence we carry within. The real challenge begins inside the soul. Despair does not shout; despair whispers. And those whispers can cause us to retreat, to isolate, or to forget we deserve healing.
Parents often blame themselves for what happened. The mind can become its own battlefield. We relive choices, regrets, and missed signs. This cycle of self-destruction is brutal. Grief already takes so much. Shame should not take more. Compassion for ourselves can be the hardest act to choose. But the decision to live gently with our own story can break the cycle. Healing does not mean forgetting. Healing means choosing not to destroy ourselves in the aftermath of loss.
No nation survives when its people turn against themselves. Likewise, no grieving heart survives by turning inward with blame. We do not lose love when we choose to live. We honor love by continuing with care. Each time we choose connection over silence, hope grows stronger. We carry heavy pain, but we are not broken. We are wounded. And wounded hearts can still choose kindness—especially toward themselves.
Thought for today: Let today be one step away from self-blame. Choose gentleness. Your healing honors the love that still lives in you.