02/19/2026
When someone you love is still alive but no longer in your life, the pain can feel confusing, invisible, and incredibly lonely.
Ways to gently support yourself through this:
• Name the grief. This is a loss. Ambiguous loss is still loss. You’re allowed to mourn the relationship as it was.
• Release the urge to “fix it” immediately. Some spaces need time, not pressure.
• Write what you wish you could say. Letters you don’t send can hold a lot of healing.
• Care for the parent/child in you. Your love didn’t disappear just because contact did.
• Seek safe support. A therapist, support group, or trusted friend can hold this with you.
• Hold hope gently, not desperately. Relationships can change over time, but your peace cannot wait for that.