Grieving the Losses We Carry
Grief is not only about the death of someone we love. We also grieve the quieter, less visible losses that accumulate over a lifetime—changes in our health, our memory, our emotional resilience, our independence, our employment, our roles, and the dreams or routines we once held dear. These losses can unsettle us just as deeply, yet we often struggle to name them or give ourselves permission to grieve and mourn them. Elisabeth Kübler‑Ross, M.D. described the following five stages of grief—not as a straight line, but as experiences we move in and out of. David Kessler later added a sixth stage. Together, they offer a compassionate way to understand what our hearts go through. 1 Denial can appear as “I’m fine” or “This can’t be happening.” It protects us until we’re ready to face the truth. Anger may rise when life feels unfair or when our bodies or abilities no longer cooperate. Anger is not a failure of faith—it’s a sign that something precious has been touched or affect...