Returning After Loss: The Quiet Strength of Showing Up

July 4th, 2025
First day back. First deep breath.

I’m returning to work today — not just to shifts and tasks and routines — but to a world that kept moving while I quietly fell apart.

I had a miscarriage recently. A loss that was deeply mine. One I carried with hope, then grief, and now — an invisible weight stitched to the inside of my scrubs.

No one will see it.
Some won’t know.
Others might pretend it never happened.

But I know.
And I am still healing.

There’s a unique pain in going back to work as a caregiver when you’re grieving.
Because you don’t just go back to work.
You go back to caring.

Caring for others when your own body just let go of something you loved.
Holding space when you’re still figuring out how to hold yourself.
Showing up — not because you’re over it, but because you’re moving through it.

If you’re reading this and you’ve been there — or are here now — I want you to know:

💚 You are not weak for grieving while showing up.
💚 You don’t have to feel “ready.”
💚 You are allowed to feel everything and still do your job with love.

Today, I don’t have all the answers. But I’m choosing to walk back in — soft, open, and honest with myself. I am bringing my story with me. Quietly, proudly.

For anyone who’s ever returned to work after loss:
I see you. You are so brave.