When grief changes, what are we afraid of losing?

In grief, an unexpected moment may come when pain no longer occupies every hour. One morning, we realize that we laughed, followed a conversation without drifting away in our thoughts, or remained present in life for a while. And precisely then, alongside a tentative sense of relief, guilt may appear.

We fear that feeling better means leaving behind the person we loved—as though suffering had become the truest proof of the bond and any change in that suffering might resemble…