You Will Rise Again

When you can’t get up, when you can’t show up, and you feel like you’re not going to make it, I want you to know—you will. I want you to know that what you do today is shaping your path forward. And even if you do nothing, that’s okay, because sometimes doing nothing is exactly what your body and soul need. Staying still isn’t failure—it’s survival, and that’s enough for today.

You don’t have to be Superwoman. You don’t have to have it all together. You don’t need a plan, and you don’t need to know the way forward, because the truth is, nobody can know that for you. If someone’s telling you how to push through or “just get on with it,” I want you to know this: You don’t need to force yourself into something you’re not ready for. You’re already facing the hardest thing imaginable. You wake up and live with it every single day.

But what you don’t want to do is stay stuck in that overwhelming edge-of-the-cliff state forever. When you feel like you’re living in misery day after day, it’s time to stop. Not stop living—but stop running from the pain. Step into it. Let the shattered pieces of you begin to rearrange, slowly, one day at a time. Every choice you make, even the choice to simply breathe, is shaping your next moment. And it’s okay if some days you fall out of line. It’s okay to feel like you’re drowning. But here’s the truth: you will rise again. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, but little by little, moment by moment, you will find your footing.

Grief changes everything. It rewires your body, your nervous system, your identity. It shifts every cell in your being. If you’ve lost a child, your perspective on life is something most people will never fully understand. And if you’re waiting for someone to validate your pain or truly see you, I want to tell you this with love: you won’t find it. Not the way you need. People may try, but they can’t live in your shoes. They can’t carry the weight you bear every single day.

And yet, this doesn’t make you a failure. You’re not a failure because you don’t have it all figured out. You’re not a failure because you don’t have the answers. You’re not a failure because it might take years to even begin to feel like you’re finding your way again. You’re living with something unimaginable, and just choosing to wake up every day is an act of bravery.

Here’s what I’ve learned: I didn’t choose this journey, but I’ve chosen who I am within it. I’ve chosen to keep going. I’ve chosen to let the pain make me stronger and more compassionate. And while I would never choose this path, I can say I’m a better person today because I’ve fought to become one. It’s not easy. There are hard days, hard weeks, hard months. But I’ve chosen not to stay the person I was before Zach died. And that choice is always available to you.

If you’re ready to take that step and you don’t know how, I’m here. I’ll sit with you. I’ll hold space for you. I’ll walk alongside you. But you have to want it for yourself. You have to find the courage to choose you. You matter. Your journey matters. It’s long, and it’s difficult, but every single step forward will bring you closer to the life you deserve.

You’re not in this alone. You were never meant to do it alone. And when you lean into your own courage, when you step forward with purpose—even through the pain—you’ll find a strength you never knew you had.

You already hold everything you need to begin again. Let’s find it together.

Julie