What No One Tells You About Grief and Joy

Grief doesn’t come with rules—but somehow, joy can feel like breaking one.

You’re heartbroken, cracked open by loss, and then—out of nowhere—you laugh. Not a forced laugh, but a real one. Maybe it bubbles up in a conversation, or escapes during a memory. And just as quickly, the guilt moves in. As if happiness is a betrayal. As if feeling anything other than sorrow means you’ve stopped loving the person who’s gone.

But what no one tells you is this: joy is not a sign you've moved on. It's a sign you're still here.