Grief is a Journey - Krina’s story

I lost my dad suddenly at 19. It changed my life in ways I never imagined.  I miss him all the time every day. 

I was a true daddy’s girl — still am, always will be. It’s heartbreaking knowing he’s not here with me. We were incredibly close, and that makes his absence even harder to bear.

Coping with Grief:
I’m not really sure how I’m coping with my grief. I’ve found that I tend to laugh more than I cry. Instead of focusing on the sadness, I hold onto the funny moments and memories we shared.

Laughter has become my way of coping. My dad and I laughed constantly, and those moments are what I cling to now. But sometimes, when I laugh, it feels like I should be laughing with him, not just in memory of him. It’s like there’s an empty space where his laughter should be, and I wish I could hear it just one more time.

The Unexpected Shift:
I remember being in college, just a week before everything changed. I was sitting in class, making a 5-year plan for my future — full of hopes, goals, and dreams. Did I ever expect that my dad would be gone the very next week? No. Never in a million years.

I was kind of forced to grow up faster than I ever expected. My life changed in ways I wasn’t ready for. I was thrown into the deep end, but I stepped up — something I don’t regret. Still, it does make you wonder what life might’ve been like if things had turned out differently.

Learning to Live with Loss:
Before losing my dad, I had never experienced grief or loss as such. So, when it happened, everything was new to me. Nothing truly prepares you for losing a parent — especially when you're young. It doesn’t get easier you just learn to live with it. 

After my dad’s passing, I went through several other losses in a short period of time, which was a lot, but none of them came close to the pain of losing him. That loss was unlike anything I could have imagined.

Running to Heal:
I used to run before I lost my dad, but now running has taken on a whole new meaning. It’s not just for fitness anymore. I run to heal, reflect, and process my grief.

Running has become a space where I can remember him, find peace, and work through emotions that are sometimes too hard to put into words. Every step I take is a way for me to cope with the grief and keep his memory alive.

The guilt is constant : 

Guilt for feeling sad even happy, for the what ifs, for missing my loved one even though I know I’m not the only one grieving. People everywhere face loss, and sometimes I convince myself that my pain doesn’t matter because “others have it worse.” But I have to remind myself of the truth: I lost my dad in my early twenties. That’s not small. That’s not normal. It wasn’t the life I imagined — and I’m allowed to grieve that.

Reflecting on the Journey:
Grief doesn’t follow a set path, and everyone experiences it differently. For me, it’s been a balance of holding onto the joy we shared while also navigating the deep pain of loss. Every day is a step forward, and while the ache doesn’t go away, I find strength in the memories and the love we had.