Grieving to Thriving: Finding Hope When the Path Feels Impossible

Three years and three months a widow, and I can say with certainty that this journey has reshaped me in ways I never imagined. Grief is not just sadness; it’s a storm that sweeps through every corner of life, altering the landscape of everything I once knew. It is relentless, unpredictable, and often isolating, leaving behind a version of me that even I struggle to recognise at times.

In the wake of my husband’s death, I lost more than just him. I lost friendships that couldn’t withstand the weight of my sorrow, financial security that once provided comfort, and perhaps most painfully, a connection with one of my children. Grief creates a distance that not everyone knows how to bridge. It transforms us, and not everyone is able—or willing—to walk alongside this new version of us. Accepting that truth has been one of the hardest lessons of all.

But I did what every book, podcast, and grief expert recommended—I poured myself into healing. I embraced self-care, journaled through the pain, and sought out a community that might understand. Then, I took my grief and transformed it into something meaningful. I created guided journals, a self-care guide, and digital resources, all designed to help others navigate their grief journeys with greater ease and support.

I threw myself into building a business that would provide for me financially and serve the very people I deeply understood and cared about. I worked tirelessly on social media, sharing insights, encouragement, and the raw, unfiltered truth about grief. I believed in what I was creating—I still do—but if I’m being honest, the response has been… disheartening.

I watch other accounts, some offering little depth or value, skyrocket in engagement while my work—the work I poured my heart into—barely gets noticed. It’s frustrating and disappointing. It makes me question what people hold dear and whether my efforts are whispers in an overcrowded digital world.

And yet, despite it all, I’m still here. I haven’t given up. Because thriving is not about instant success—it’s about perseverance. It’s about redefining what success truly means. It’s about knowing that even if my work touches just a handful of people, if it brings them comfort or validation, then it has mattered.

So, where do I go from here? I keep going. I adapt. I pivot where necessary. And above all, I remind myself why I started in the first place. My business name is Grieving to Thriving—not because I have fully arrived at thriving but because I refuse to remain in grief’s shadow. Thriving is the goal; even when I have to crawl toward it, I will not stop moving forward.

To those of you who are also walking this path, feeling unseen, unheard, or unsupported—I see you. I hear you. I believe in you. Let’s keep going together. Let’s hold onto hope, even when the world makes it difficult. Because we deserve more than just survival—we deserve to thrive.