it is normal to feel everything and nothing all at once.

it is normal to be laughing one minute and crying the next.

it is normal to have trouble accepting or comprehending the reality of this loss.

it is normal to feel guilty for doing anything but thinking about the person.

it is normal to want to keep busy in order to distract yourself from the pain.

it is normal to not know how to move forward.

it is normal to feel angry…at the world, at yourself, at a Higher Power, at this reality.

it is normal to question your beliefs or ideals.

it is normal to lean into your beliefs or ideals and to find comfort in them.

it is normal to feel heartbroken, even if you weren’t very close to the person.

it is normal to feel regret about the things that you didn’t get a chance to say or do.

it is normal to feel numb, tired, and apathetic.

it is normal to feel especially hungry, or to not have much of an appetite.

it is normal to feel foggy, to have difficulty concentrating, to feel detached.

it is normal to feel like everything is happening around you at warp speed while you are moving in slow motion.

it is normal to feel uncomfortable around others who may be grieving in a different way or at a different pace than you.

it is normal to start to feel a little more okay with each passing day.

it is normal to resist healing, because giving yourself permission to heal feels like you’re saying the loss didn’t happen.

it is normal for grief to be a process and a journey, not just an event or a moment.

it is normal to want to talk about the person in order to keep their memory alive.

It is normal to want to have a location or a keepsake or some other tangible thing to remind you of the person.

it is normal to not know “the right thing” to say to others to help them feel better.

it is normal to get frustrated when people say the “wrong thing” to try to make you feel better.

it is normal to want alone time.

it is normal to want to be with others.

it is normal if this grief feels different than previous losses because it was so sudden and because the person was so young.

it is normal to feel anxious about upcoming events or dates that remind you of the person.

it is normal to need support, even if you weren’t as close to the person as others.

it is normal to worry that the grief is too much…that if you let it come, it might overtake you.

it is normal to ask for help.

it is normal to not be okay.

it is normal to be okay.

it is normal to ask someone to help you figure out how to be okay again.