Kirsten’s Blog
I write these entries for my daughter, for myself, and for anyone who needs to know they aren’t alone.
There are new posts most weeks. Thank you for returning, or for finding this space for the very first time.
Sleep Isn’t Simple Anymore
I was scared of sleep.
Because waking up meant remembering she was gone. Is sleep only for the innocent?
The Second Time
It’s coming up to two years.
And somehow, it feels like it’s about to happen again.
The Calendar Doesn’t Forget
Easter again.
It’s strange how a date that moves can still feel so exact.
My brain doesn’t care about the calendar, it remembers the feeling. And suddenly, I’m back there… missing her in a way that feels sharper than yesterday.
Writing Is Where I Put What I Can’t Carry
Grief doesn’t just live in your heart. It lives in your body, your thoughts, your nervous system. Writing became the place I could put what I couldn’t carry anymore - not to fix it, but to give it somewhere to exist outside of me.
The Undertow of Grief
Sometimes grief sits quietly beside your life, letting you believe you’ve found your footing again. And then something reminds your body what happened, and suddenly the ocean feels deep all over again.
The Empty Space
Yesterday was the launch of The Year After Kahlia. It was beautiful, proud, and full of people who care. And underneath it all was one quiet truth: I wished she was in the front row.
Control, After the Day Love Wasn’t Enough
Since Kahlia died, my relationship with control has changed completely. I work harder, plan tighter, brace faster - not because I’ve become rigid, but because I learned the worst can happen and love can’t always stop it. This launch week has shown me how grief reshapes trust, time, and the need to hold the world still.
The World Is Busy. I’m Still Talking With Her.
From the outside it looks like momentum. Inside, it’s still a relationship. This week I’ve been reminded that advocacy and ache can live side by side; microphones and whispers, movement and presence.
Say Their Name
When someone says her name, she feels close again - not as “the loss,” but as my daughter. Many people are afraid to mention the person who died, but silence hurts more than tears. Saying their name is one of the kindest gifts you can give.
I Thought I Was Coping… I Was Avoiding.
I didn’t collapse in year two. I accelerated. This is about the restlessness, overdoing, and quiet forms of avoidance no one talks about.
“I miss you” is too small
I miss you’ sounds small. Polite. Almost tidy. What it feels like is collapse
The Day My Body Said No
I’ve always trusted my body to carry me through. Until the day grief stopped me halfway up a mountain. This is a story about limits, listening, and the physical reality of loss.
Seven Things Getting Me Through This Week
December is loud, and grief is louder. This post is about the strange comfort of doing nothing, the safety of solitude, the weight of upcoming birthdays and anniversaries, and the quiet dignity of saying no - even to Christmas.
It’s Mid-December. Here’s How to Support Someone Who’s Grieving (Without Making It Harder)
December grief is loud, exhausting, and often misunderstood. This is a personal, practical reflection on what actually helps grieving people - whether it’s the first year or the tenth.
What If I Never “Accept” That My Daughter Is Dead?
I keep wondering what my life would look like if I truly accepted that Kahlia is dead - not in theory, but all the way in. The truth is, I don’t think my mind knows how. Acceptance isn’t a stage I’m aiming for. It’s a story people tell to make grief tidier than it is. I’m not interested in tidying the love out of my life.
Everyone has an Eeyore
A simple TikTok clip of Eeyore brought me to my knees … not because of the toy, but because of the meaning stitched into him. In grief, the smallest things become the heaviest. This is a story about symbols, triggers, and why the objects our loved ones touched can still undo us. Everyone has an Eeyore.
I’m Happy and I Miss Her: Learning to Let Joy In Without Feeling Like I’m Cheating on My Grief
Joy after loss can feel like disloyalty. In this piece, I unpack the guilt that hits when I feel happy - the fear my daughter will think I’ve moved on, and the slow, brave practice of learning I can be happy and miss her. Joy doesn’t replace grief; it grows around it.
I Write Her Alive
Grief is strange. You can feel three things at once; longing, purpose, and fear that if you stop, you’ll lose them all over again. Today I wrote about that quiet ache of trying to keep someone alive in words.