With Karen Cator, RTC-c
Grief manifests in many forms, each rooted in the loss of something or someone meaningful.
One type of grief centers around the loss of normalcy—the feeling that what was once familiar and stable is no longer present. This could be the loss of a routine, a way of life, or even the future we envisioned. Grieving the loss of what could have been, or the “what ifs,” can feel particularly overwhelming, as it forces us to confront the absence of possibilities. Alongside this, there is often a sense of longing—the yearning for wholeness, the return of understanding, and the restoration of meaning in our lives. This longing is not just for the person or thing lost but also for the sense of completeness, we once had.
The process of grief also brings with it a sense of feeling lost. This phase demands that we reorient ourselves in every aspect of our being: physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. It’s a time of deep self-reflection, where we must ask who we are now and how we move forward without what we once had. To navigate this, we need to share our stories—to speak our pain and be truly heard. Meaning-making is another critical aspect of grief, where we begin to actively reshape our narrative. This process involves finding ways to integrate the loss into our life story, transforming the pain into wisdom and growth. It requires rewriting our future chapters—defining what matters to us now, who we are, and what we believe. In doing so, we embrace vulnerability, accept the loss, and, ultimately, make peace with it through reflection, conversation, and mutual support. Karen