How do you navigate life after losing a loved one?

It has been a little over a year since I lost my mother, and honestly, I still don’t know how to explain what that kind of loss does to a person. Some days I feel okay, almost normal, and then out of nowhere the grief hits me like it just happened yesterday. Life keeps moving forward, but part of me feels frozen in that moment when everything changed.

Since she passed, everything feels heavier. Simple things take more effort. Motivation comes and goes. I try to stay strong, especially for the people around me, but there are nights when the quiet feels too loud and the memories come flooding back. I miss her voice, her advice, and the comfort of knowing she was always there. It’s strange how someone can be gone, yet still be everywhere in your thoughts.

I’ve learned that grief isn’t something you “get over.” You just learn to carry it differently. Some days I carry it well, other days it feels unbearable. I try to honor her by living, by pushing forward even when I don’t feel like it. I remind myself that she would want me to keep going, to find moments of joy again, even if they’re small.

So I’m reaching out to others who understand this kind of pain. How do you navigate life after losing someone you loved deeply? What helps you on the hard days? I don’t have all the answers, but I know it helps not to feel alone in this.