When Does Grief End?

If you’ve ever lost someone close to your heart, you’ve probably heard well-meaning comments like, “You’ll move on,” or “Time heals all wounds.” These phrases, while meant to comfort, often miss the mark. Because here’s the truth: grief doesn’t end. Not really.

To those on the outside looking in, it might seem like it does. Maybe they notice that you smile more often, or that you’ve returned to routines and responsibilities. They see you functioning again and assume you’re “back to normal.” But what they don’t see is the undercurrent of grief that remains—always there, even when the waves seem calm.

Grief isn’t a problem to solve or a phase to outgrow. It’s a forever thing. It changes shape, softening at times, but it never truly goes away. It becomes part of who you are, woven into the fabric of your life.

What people often don’t understand is that grief doesn’t need to be visible to be real. It doesn’t mean you’re stuck or unwilling to move forward. It means you carry your loss with you, quietly and deeply, in ways that may never be apparent to others.

And that’s where the disconnect lies. Society likes the idea of closure. It’s more comfortable for others to believe that grief is temporary, that you’ll eventually “get over it.” But for those of us grieving, the idea of “closure” feels foreign. How do you close the door on love? How do you pack away the memories of someone who shaped your life? You don’t.

Grief doesn’t have a neat endpoint, and it doesn’t diminish the strength or resilience of those carrying it. Instead, it reflects the depth of our love. So, when someone asks, “Why are you still upset?” or seems surprised when you get emotional years later, know this: their misunderstanding doesn’t define your journey. Grief never ends because love never ends. And that’s not something we should have to explain—it’s something we should embrace.

❤️ Aimee