Your People Matter – Letting Others In

Grief often feels like an isolating, deeply personal journey. When we’re hurting, it’s easy to withdraw—to shut the world out, to sit with our sorrow in silence, to assume no one else could possibly understand the weight we’re carrying. And while there’s a natural need for solitude in grief, it’s important to remember: you don’t have to do this alone.

Letting others in doesn’t mean having the right words. It doesn’t mean showing up cheerful or explaining everything you’re feeling. It means allowing yourself to be supported, witnessed, and gently held—exactly as you are.

Grief Is Heavy—And It’s Meant to Be Shared

Grief isn’t something to “get through” on your own. It’s not a test of strength or independence. It’s a wound of the heart that needs tending—and one of the greatest balms for that wound is connection.

Your people—whether they’re family, close friends, members of a faith community, a therapist, or a support group—can offer something that no self-help book or solitary walk can provide: presence.

Not answers. Not solutions. Just presence.

Sometimes, knowing that someone is sitting beside you, listening, or simply being quiet with you is enough to remind you that you are still seen, still loved, still here.

Why We Struggle to Let Others In

You might be thinking:

• “They’re going through their own grief too.”

• “I don’t want to burden anyone.”

• “I don’t even know what I need.”

• “I don’t have the energy to talk.”

These thoughts are common. But here’s the truth: the people who love you want to be there. They may not know how—but they care. And they don’t need you to have it all figured out. They just need your permission to show up.

Ways to Let Others In (Even When It’s Hard)

You don’t have to open the floodgates. Start small. Let people in, one step at a time.

• Be honest about how you’re feeling – Even a simple, “I’m having a hard day” can open a door to connection.

• Give people something to do – Ask a friend to drop off food, go for a walk with you, or sit in silence over a cup of coffee.

• Tell someone what you don’t need – It’s okay to say, “I don’t want advice right now, just someone to listen.”

• Lean on structured support – Support groups, therapy, or grief circles offer space where people truly understand.

• Accept help – Even if you don’t think you “need” it. Allowing others to help gives them a way to love you.

The Power of Being Seen

Grief can feel invisible. But when someone shows up—when they look you in the eye and ask how you’re really doing, when they hold space for your tears or your silence—it’s a powerful reminder: You are not alone.

Letting others in doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’re human. And humans were never meant to carry heartbreak alone.

A Gentle Invitation

As you move through your grief, remember this: your people matter. They may not know the perfect thing to say. But they are willing. Let them in—not to fix you, but to walk beside you.

Grief shared is grief softened. Let others help you carry what feels uncarryable.

You don’t have to be okay to be loved. You don’t have to be strong to be held.

Let them love you. Let them in.