Grief isn't just about mourning others.

You are allowed to grieve the lost versions of yourself too.

In the many pains of life, in the sufferings that happen to us along the way, it will feel like we've lost parts of ourselves.

Parts of ourselves that we feel like we'll never get back again.

Maybe it's that innocent, unblemished, almost carefree version of ourselves.

Maybe it's the "better" version of ourselves that we could've been if we didn't go through what we did.

Wondering what life would be like now if we weren't perhaps so broken.

And didn't have to go through all this pain.

That's grief, plain and simple.

The loss of potential for ourselves. Knowing we are capable of more but somehow limited by our experiences, our conditions

The loss of a better life and a future we envisioned for ourselves.

That's grief.

--

And you are allowed to grief. 

You are allowed to be sad, upset, angry. You are allowed to feel like all this has been unfair.

Because it is.

No one chooses suffering, but suffering came to you instead.

So grief.

But in doing so and while you may mourn the parts of yourselves you've lost along the way...

Know that with time and healing, you will find NEW ones too.

You will, okay?

-----

Excerpt from a talk I had to give on eczema yesterday, but applies to all of us here.

To me, that's the childhood trauma I went through, the loss of my youth and innocence.

The loss of my adolescence and the happiness and the relationships I could've experienced too.

The loss of what I could've been if so many things didn't happen to me along the way. Or if I didn't fail so much in my life, if I didn't give up at times.

But tell you what, things may have happened and though I've lost things along the way.

Somehow, I'm still utterly happy with where I am now.

Because through this pain, through this suffering, somehow I've found this version of myself that I really cherish and loved

The one that still holds to pain, but the one filled with purpose too.

Surrounded by people I love

And to you out there, I hope and know you'll find the same thing too.

So don't give up okay?

Grief as much as you need.

But let's keep going,

Hernping

⭐

#sgmentalhealth #innerchildhealing #complextrauma #depression #anxiety #healing #findingyourself #grief