Today I want to express my gratitude for something that has quietly helped me feel more human — via /r/gratitude

—an affirmation for ambiguous grief.

“I release the need for answers I may never receive.

I honor the love that still lives in me, even if I can’t give it the way I once did.

I allow myself to feel the grief that has no clear shape or end — it’s not weakness, it’s proof that my heart still knows how to care.

Even in absence, I hold love.

Even in silence, I remain a mother.

Even in pain, I choose peace.

I do not need closure to begin healing.

I am allowed to move forward without forgetting.

I am allowed to grow without guilt.

I am allowed to carry this gently and still live a full, beautiful life.

And I am never alone in the ache.

I am loved, held, and healing every single day. “

——
I miss my daughters every second. I don’t know where they are or how they’re doing. I was told to stay away, and I’m honoring that boundary. But it doesn’t mean I stopped being their mom in my heart. It doesn’t mean I stopped loving them.

For the longest time, I didn’t feel like I had a right to grieve this loss. After all, no one died. But the ache is still there. It lingers in the quiet moments and presses into my chest when I think of all the hugs I can’t give and the “I love yous” I may never hear again.

I didn’t even know there was a name for this kind of pain until recently—ambiguous grief. That alone was healing. But even more healing was this affirmation I’ve started using.
Reading that… saying that… it gives me permission to feel what’s true. It makes my grief feel valid. It helps me soften toward myself instead of judging or shaming my pain.

So today, I’m grateful for words that remind me my love still matters, even in silence. I’m grateful for a name for this loss. And I’m grateful to keep healing, one tender breath at a time.