“If equal affection cannot be, Let the more loving one be me.” — W.H. Auden
Grief often leaves a sense of imbalance in love and loss. When a child is gone, the love remaining can feel both immense and painfully one-sided. Some parents carry a heavier load of love because absence creates distance that cannot be crossed. Loving deeply without equal return can seem unfair, yet that love remains a vital force. Choosing to be the more loving one does not mean weakness. Choosing love despite the silence honors the bond that death cannot sever. The heart learns to carry love even when it feels unreciprocated.
Parents who have lost a child live with love stretched across absence and memory. That love may change shape but does not disappear. Holding onto love through grief requires courage and gentle acceptance. The act of loving becomes a daily decision. Sometimes the love is silent, whispered into empty spaces. Other times love blooms in memories, stories, or rituals kept sacred. Love continues as a thread weaving through loss, connecting past and present. Grieving parents understand the power of love’s persistence beyond what the eyes can see.
Being the more loving one means embracing vulnerability. It means reaching toward what feels impossible. The choice to love amid loss can bring unexpected peace. That love can become a beacon in the darkest moments. Even when affection seems unequal, love has a way of transforming grief. The more loving heart holds space for healing, for hope, and for connection. Being the more loving one honors the child who lives forever in love’s embrace.
Thought for today: Choose love as an act of courage. Let your heart be the more loving one, even in the hardest moments.