Grief Isn’t Just for People and Pets: Why Loss Can Be the Gateway to Freedom and Authenticity

Grief isn’t always about losing someone. Sometimes, it’s about losing something — a dream, an identity, a future that never came to pass.

The Unexpected Places Grief Shows Up

Grief shows up when:

• Your dog, your loyal companion through everything, takes their last breath and leaves you with silence and memories.

• You pack your bags and walk out the door, not just leaving a partner, but letting go of the woman who kept hoping he would change.

• You realise your children have grown and gone, and you’re left to rediscover who you are without being needed in the same way.

• You finally admit to yourself that what you wanted so badly — that job, that relationship, that city — isn’t right for you after all.

Grief is the quiet companion to every big shift in life. And yet, we rarely give it the space it deserves. We push through. We tell ourselves we should be over it. We minimise it because no one died, right?

But grief doesn’t care about logic. It cares about loss. It shows up when something meaningful ends — and when something new begins.

Grief as a Pathway to Freedom

Here’s the thing about grief: it hurts because something mattered. You loved deeply. You tried hard. You showed up, even when it was painful. The grief is the evidence of your courage.

And if you let it, grief can be the bridge between who you were and who you’re becoming.

Too often, we avoid grief because it feels endless, like if we open the door, it will swallow us whole. But grief isn’t there to destroy you. It’s there to clear the way. To strip away the illusions. To invite you into your truth.

When you grieve, you release. You make space. You honour what was. And only then can you begin to walk freely into what is next.

Grief and Authenticity

Authenticity isn’t something we stumble into. It’s something we uncover. And often, it’s grief that does the uncovering.

You grieve the version of yourself who people-pleased to stay safe.
You grieve the woman who settled for less because she didn’t believe she could have more.
You grieve the years you spent waiting for someone to love you the way you deserved.

And then, from the ashes of that grief, something new rises. A woman who chooses herself. A life that reflects your truth, not your survival. A freedom that doesn’t depend on anyone else’s permission.

Grief is not the end. It’s the threshold.

Letting Grief Walk With You

You don’t have to rush your grief. You don’t have to explain it or justify it. You can just let it be there. You can cry for the dog who held you through your darkest nights, and also cry for the girl inside you who just wanted to be safe. You can honour the years you gave away and still be proud of the woman you are today.

There is power in grief when we let it soften us, teach us, and eventually, free us.

So if you’re grieving today — for a pet, a person, a partnership, a past — know this:

You are not broken. You are becoming.
And grief is not the thing that will stop you — it’s the thing that will carry you into a life that’s real, raw, and completely your own.

"Grief is not just about who we’ve lost. It’s about who we’re becoming.

Every ending holds a quiet invitation to come home to ourselves."

Susan Ball