The Life You Still Deserve: The Quiet Longings of a Grieving Heart

Written By Melissa Hull

There are certain things we don’t talk about enough when it comes to grief and adversity.

We talk about how it changes us, yes. How it breaks us open. How it humbles us and makes the simplest joys feel foreign. But what we don’t always name are the quiet, aching longings that live in the background of our every day. The ones we keep hidden beneath the surface, because we don’t know how — or if — they’ll ever come back.

I’m talking about the yearning to feel truly alive again.

The desire to belly laugh without guilt.

To trust life.

To be in a room full of people and not feel like a ghost.

To look in the mirror and recognize the person staring back.

To love again.

To be creative again.

To dream without immediately shutting it down with, “But what if I lose everything again?”

To feel joy and believe it’s safe to stay.

To stop bracing for the next blow.

If you’re walking through grief, trauma, or prolonged adversity, I know you know these feelings. I lived in them for years. After losing my son Drew to drowning at just four years old, I didn’t just lose him, I lost my sense of self. I lost my faith in ever having a good future. And even when I began to function again, there was a long time where I still didn’t feel anything that resembled hope.

That’s the part that gets missed: functioning is not the same as living.

And I want you to know, if your heart is whispering, I want more than this numb survival, you are not wrong for wanting that. You are not betraying your grief. You are not being unrealistic. You are remembering that you were made for more than pain you feel today.

And maybe you’ve tried. Maybe you’ve read the books, listened to the podcasts, even signed up for a few things here and there. But the truth is, it’s hard to walk your way out of that level of loss alone. Grief rewires your brain. Trauma freezes your nervous system. Shame convinces you that you’re the exception to every promise of joy. And sometimes, what you need most is not another self-help resource — but someone who’s walked this exact road and found a way to not just survive it, but expand through it.

That’s where I come in — not just as a coach or a speaker — but as someone who’s done the work, fallen apart, gotten up again, and learned to feel safe in joy after devastation.

I know what it feels like to lie awake at night and think:

  • Will I ever feel excited again?

  • Will anyone ever see the whole of me, not just the wounded parts?

  • What if my best days really are behind me?

But I also know what it feels like to have the courage to say: Maybe I can live again. Maybe even bigger than before.

That’s the turning point. And it’s why I do what I do.

Because here’s the truth:

You don’t need to fix yourself to be worthy of joy.

You don’t have to wait until you’re over the grief to build something beautiful.

You just need someone to walk beside you and help you remember who you were before the pain told you to play small.

To help you reclaim your voice, your joy, your creativity, your vision.

I’ve helped women write the books they thought they’d never be strong enough to share.

I’ve walked alongside mothers who thought they’d never laugh again.

I’ve helped people who were overwhelmed with guilt finally let it go and choose peace.

And none of it happened overnight. But all of it began the moment they stopped asking, “What’s wrong with me?” and started asking, “What else could be true?”

So if you’re longing to feel capable again, to show up in your life with energy, with presence, with purpose, this is my invitation to you:

Come with me.

Let’s uncover the story you’ve been living and see what else is possible.

Let’s meet the truth beneath the pain.

Let’s reawaken your sense of aliveness — not in spite of what you’ve lost, but because of what you’ve survived.

You don’t have to keep waiting for life to feel like it used to.

It may never be the same, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful again.

If you are ready and would like help, let me show you how I can support you.

You were never meant to just survive — together let’s rediscover what it means for you to truly live again.

Sending you maximum love on your journey of healing.

Let’s Stay Connected!

I’d love to keep the conversation going. Whether you’re looking for free resources, inspiration, healing tools, or want to dive deeper through my courses and podcast — there’s a space for you here:

Wherever you are on your healing journey, know that you’re not alone.

Melissa Hull
Previous

Guarding Your Heart and Assets: How to Protect Yourself While Grieving
Next

Alignment Isn’t Just an Idea — It’s a Decision to Be Seen.