Post:
The first time I laughed again…
It caught me off guard.
The sound felt foreign.
The moment felt wrong.
How could I laugh when my son was gone?
How could I smile when my husband and my mother weren’t here to share it?
It felt like betrayal.
Like I was dishonoring their memory by experiencing joy.
But here’s what I’ve come to understand:
🌿 Joy doesn’t erase grief—it grows alongside it.
Joy isn’t a replacement for pain—it’s a reflection of healing.
God didn’t ask me to stay in mourning forever.
He promised that even in my sorrow, He would bring beauty from ashes.
I had to learn to give myself permission to feel joy again.
To dance at a wedding.
To laugh with my grandson.
To sing in church without tears filling my throat.
And guess what?
Every time I feel joy, I remember them.
Every time I smile, I carry them with me.
They’re not forgotten.
They’re part of my joy now.
Their love is woven into every celebration.
If you’re grieving and guilt creeps in the moment you feel happiness, please hear this:
Joy is not betrayal.
Joy is a sign that you’re still alive.
Still loving.
Still healing.
You are allowed to laugh.
To dance.
To feel warmth again.
Give yourself that permission—and remind others they can too.
Share this with someone who needs to know that joy and grief can coexist—and both are holy.
