Moving Forward, Not Moving On

🌟Weekly Inspiration🌟

There is a difference between moving on and moving forward. Moving on suggests that we leave the person or loss behind, that somehow "we get over it." Moving forward suggests that we carry what mattered with us; we make space for the loss and the love and we incorporate it into our experience going into the future.

Consider your losses and how you've handled them. Your children are watching how you do this. When you share a memory of someone who died, when you acknowledge that the divorce still feels sad sometimes, when you light a candle on a difficult anniversary, you are teaching them that love doesn't end, it transforms.

"Grief informs love, and love can only truly exist with grief around the corner, asking us to come to our senses." —Daryl Chow

The losses we experience, the people, the places, the dreams, they become part of our story. They are not the whole story, but woven through it. Part of our human experience. ❤️

Ask Yourself:

Do I feel pressure to move on?
In what ways have I been able to move forward despite loss in my life?
What have my children observed about how I've grieved?
Can I allow myself to feel more fully? To integrate the loss? Am I going to break, or am I stronger than I think?
Do I assist my child with integrating their losses? Remembering, honoring, acknowledging?
Going into this holiday season, are there ways that I can be intentional about honoring our losses and finding meaningful ways to further heal and remember?

Be well. Enjoy your Thanksgiving. I am thankful for you, dear reader!