Grief recently entered our lives again. It turned up like an uninvited guest without announcing its arrival. But then, grief does often come unexpectedly. And it seems to be able to find us, no matter how hard we may try to hide from it. Coping with grief and loss is a journey that often calls for moments of comfort and solace. Therefore, I wanted to share some inspirational quotes for coping with pain, loss, and grief. Whilst these words might not black out your pain, I pray they can offer some consolation if you are going through difficult times.
Read also ‘Life Lessons in Queen’s Elisabeth’s Quotes‘
Inspirational quotes for grief
1. “Grief is the price we pay for love” (Queen Elizabeth II) – it is a high price to pay, but our loved ones were, and always will be, a gift in our lives.
2. “To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die” (Thomas Campbell) – we will always carry those dearest to us in our hearts, no matter how long it has been. They may no longer be with us in physical form, but they will always be in our hearts.
3. “What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us” (Helen Keller) – even without the physical presence, our love for people who blessed our lives never dies.
4. “Little by little we let go of loss, but never of love” (unknown) – slowly but surely we learn to let go of loss whilst holding onto the love.
5. “I learned that, with grief, you have to take it one day at a time and learn how to find the happiness amid the heartbreak” (Adrianne C. Moore) – grief is a journey through pain and loss, we have to venture through it one step at a time and learn that amidst the dark clouds, there can also be sunshine. And we can allow it to shine through; sadness and happiness can co-exist.
6. “Grief is in two parts. The first is loss. The second is the remaking of life” (Anne Roiphe) – healing isn’t easy or pretty. It is a choice, and what choices we make is up to us.
7. “Because someone we love is in heaven, there’s a little bit of heaven in our home” (unknown) – this is a beautiful reminder that our loved ones will always have a place in our hearts.
8. “You don’t go around grieving all the time, but the grief is still there and always will be” (Nigella Lawson) – grief doesn’t have a timeline, it isn’t linear and often hits us unexpectedly.
9. “The only cure for grief is to grieve” (George Henry Lewes) – there isn’t a magic pill for grief; the only way out is through it. Although difficult, it is a healthy way to deal with grief.
10. “The pain passes, but the beauty remains” (Pierre Auguste Renoir) – one day, we will be able to smile when thinking of our loved ones who can’t be with us any longer, we will cherish our memories of them, and no one can take those memories away from us.
11. “They tell you to be grateful for what you have. But you are also allowed to be sad for what you have lost” (Sabina Laura) – life is a series of emotional experiences, and there are times when you will struggle to count your blessings. This is ok so don’t beat yourself up when feeling bad. Just be honest, acknowledge your feelings and process your emotions. It won’t feel like this forever; things will get better again.
12. “You won’t ever be your old self again… You are growing into a new self. A new self that is born out of that grief” (Ashley Davis Bush) – out of grief comes a new you. We will never be the same; grief will change us forever.
13. “The art of life is not controlling what happens to us, but using what happens to us” (Gloria Steinem) – we can’t always control what life throws at us, but we can control how we live. If I learnt anything from my mum (mother-in-law) then it was that we should always live life to the fullest, as we never know when we will take our last breath.
14. “You will survive and you will find purpose in the chaos. Moving on doesn’t mean letting go” (Mary Van Haute) – moving on with our lives doesn’t mean we have forgotten those we love; we will always remember them. We move forward in our life in their honour.
15. “The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same nor would you want to” (Elisabeth Kübler-Ross) – the truth is once grief is a part of our lives, it becomes a constant companion who changes us forever.
16. “Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give but cannot. All of that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go” (Jamie Anderson) – it hurts because we have lost those we loved and after they pass we are unsure what to do with that love.
17. “Grief is like the ocean; it comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim” (Vicki Harrison) – grief comes in waves and can take different shapes and forms. It’s unpredictable but our only choice is to address it.
18. “Grief is not a problem to be solved; it’s an experience to be carried”(Megan Devine) – grief is a natural reaction to the loss of something we value or someone we love. It isn’t something that needs to be fixed but instead, something to be remembered with fond memories.
19. “You will lose someone you can’t live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp” (Anne Lamott) – grief will always be there, but we learn to adapt and live with it as we continue with our lives.
20. “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard” (Winnie The Pooh) – after my mum passed away, my hubby said to me, “It’s better to have had a great mum, even if for a short time than to have a parent with who you have a poor relationship with for a much longer time.” And he said these same words to his mum more recently, before she also sadly passed, grateful for the relationship they had. Any time grief sneaks in, I think of those words and am grateful for the mum I had, even if she couldn’t be me for longer. She will be forever in my heart.
Read also ‘Year of Healing: 10 Positive Recovery Quotes‘
Words of comfort
Christmas might not always be the most beautiful time of the year for all. For some, the festive season might actually be the hardest. But I pray that during moments of grief, these inspirational quotes can serve as a reminder that whilst pain may still be present, there’s also room for healing and growth whilst retaining the memories of those we’ve lost. They will forever have a place in our hearts. And I believe that one day, we will be with them again. That our goodbyes aren’t forever, they aren’t the end. They simply mean I’ll miss you until we meet again.
Do you have any inspirational quotes that help you to cope with grief and loss during hard times? Share your inspirational quotes for grief in the comment below, you never know who might need to hear it right now.
Get the keys to your healing
If you are going through a hard time and feel that a bit of encouragement and support is what you might need right now, feel free to download my free e-book 7 Keys To Self-Healing, A Trauma Survivor’s Guide. It will equip you with knowledge and tools to assist you on your healing journey, help you care for yourself, and feel more in control. Download your free e-book here.
Thank you so much for reading and until the next blog post,
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Wonderful quotes. Thank you for sharing.
I loved reading this post. It’s so comforting for me with my present situation. Thanks for putting this awesome resource together.
Great post!
This is timely as my mother in law was just diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. We are feeling a lot of grief and the worst is yet to come, but we have so many memories together that we are thankful for.
Great collection of quotes you’ve put together in this post. Number 3 really stands out for me. Thanks for sharing!
great quotes
The quotes are very inspirational. I especially like, “Grief is in two parts. The first is loss. The second is the remaking of life.” This is so encouraging when we think of our loved ones we loss during the holidays.
These are wonderful quotes to comfort people when they are grieving.
Inspiring, wise, and empowering quotes.
Thanks for sharing.