Parenting while carrying grief is like juggling with one hand tied behind your back.
You show up, you feed the kids, you answer questions, you laugh at their jokes—but inside, part of you feels raw, unsteady, untethered.

☁️ A moment I’ll never forget

One afternoon, my toddler climbed onto my lap and said, “Mommy, be happy!”
I laughed through tears.
Not because I was happy.
Because I was trying to be.

I wanted to tell her, “I am happy, sometimes, but there are days the sadness sticks to me like glue.”
But I didn’t.
I just held her, because that’s what you do when words aren’t enough.

🌿 The strange rhythm of grief

Grief doesn’t follow a schedule.
It doesn’t care about playdates, lunchboxes, or bedtime routines.
Some days, it lurks quietly in the background.
Other days, it hits like a freight train when your child draws a picture that reminds you of what you’ve lost.

Whether you’ve experienced severe grief or just the day-to-day heaviness of parenting…

💛 What I’ve learned

Grief doesn’t disappear.
Pain doesn’t vanish.
But love doesn’t get smaller, even when you feel broken.

You keep showing up.
You keep laughing when you can.
You keep holding their hands even when your own feel empty.

Because that’s what matters most.
Not pretending it’s gone.
Not labeling it “good” or “bad.”
Just living through it, together.

🏡 The quiet truth

Kids notice resilience more than perfection.
They notice presence more than joy.
They notice love even in the middle of pain.

And sometimes, that’s enough to teach them how to survive life’s heaviness—and still love anyway.

Love

Rochel

A mother of 4 of the cutest children. I have seen the ups and downs in motherhood. Subscribe to this newsletter to hear my raw and honest thoughts on the joys and chaos of motherhood.