Turning Pain Into Purpose: My Journey Through Grief, Growth, and Becoming the Woman I Am Today”

Turning Pain Into Purpose: My Journey of Grief, Growth, and Never Giving Up

If there's one thing life has taught me, it's that everything doesn't always go the way we plan. Sometimes life will take you through things you never imagined, and you have no choice but to figure out how to keep going.

I've had my share of good days, difficult days, accomplishments, and moments when I questioned how much more I could handle. But through it all, I've learned that every experience has taught me something about life and, most importantly, about myself.

I'm a mother, wife, educator, author, Psychology graduate, and Certified Grief & Loss Specialist. I'm proud of those titles, but they don't tell my entire story. Behind every accomplishment is a woman who has made sacrifices, experienced heartbreak, and worked hard to get where she is today.

Losing My Dad Changed Me

On July 2, 2024, I experienced one of the hardest moments of my life when I lost my dad.

I've always been a daddy's girl, so losing him changed me in ways I still can't fully explain. There are days when I wish I could pick up the phone just to hear his voice or tell him something about my day.

People often talk about moving on after losing someone, but I've learned that grief doesn't work that way. You don't just wake up one morning and stop missing someone you love.

You learn how to live with their absence.

Losing my dad was painful, but it also opened my eyes to something I never expected. I realized there were so many people walking around carrying the same kind of pain, trying to figure out how to live after losing someone they loved.

That's what inspired me to write my book, Healing & Hope Through Grief: A Compassionate Guide to Living Again, followed by my reflective healing workbook.

Writing became more than something I enjoyed. It became a way for me to share my experience and hopefully help someone else feel less alone.

I never imagined that one of the most painful experiences of my life would lead me to something that gave me so much purpose.

I Had to Keep Going

One thing about me is that even when life gets hard, I try my best to keep going.

Being a mother and wife while working in early childhood education and pursuing my education hasn't always been easy.

There were plenty of days when I was tired, overwhelmed, and had so much going on that I didn't know how I was going to get everything done.

But I knew I wanted more for myself.

Earning my Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Capella University was something I worked extremely hard for. It wasn't just about receiving a degree. It was about proving to myself that I could accomplish something I had set my mind to, regardless of what was happening around me.

I wanted my children to see that having responsibilities doesn't mean you have to give up on your dreams.

Sometimes you have to make sacrifices. Sometimes you have to stay up late, miss out on things, and push yourself when you don't feel like it.

But when you finally accomplish what you've been working toward, those sacrifices mean so much more.

Finding My Purpose

I've always had a passion for helping people, whether it's through my work in education, supporting families, or simply being someone others can talk to.

After losing my dad, that passion became even more personal.

I decided to further my knowledge and become a Certified Grief & Loss Specialist because I wanted to do more than share my own story. I wanted to better understand grief and be able to support others who were going through difficult seasons in their lives.

One thing I always want people to understand is that healing takes time.

You can be doing well one day and struggling the next. You can be happy about something happening in your life and still feel sad because someone you love isn't here to experience it with you.

And that's okay.

I've learned that you can be grateful for the life you have while still missing the life you had before losing someone.

I'm Still Growing

I think sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to have everything figured out.

As women, we spend so much time making sure everyone else is okay that we forget about ourselves.

I'm learning that it's okay to put myself first sometimes. It's okay to have goals outside of being a mother and wife. It's okay to want more out of life.

I'm also learning that I don't have to have everything together every single day.

There are still things I'm working on, goals I haven't reached, and parts of myself I'm continuing to discover.

But when I look back over my life, I'm proud of how far I've come.

Not because everything has been perfect, but because I didn't give up.

To the Woman Who Needs Encouragement

If I could share one thing with another woman, it would be this: don't give up on yourself.

I don't know what you're going through or what you've had to overcome, but I do know that life can change in ways we never expect.

You may be dealing with grief, trying to raise your children, working a job that leaves you exhausted, going back to school, or simply trying to figure out your next chapter.

Whatever it is, don't forget about yourself in the process.

Give yourself credit for the things you've already accomplished, even the small things.

Stop comparing your journey to someone else's. We all have different stories, different struggles, and different timelines.

And most importantly, don't let a difficult season make you believe that nothing good can happen for you.

I've experienced loss, but I've also experienced growth. I've had moments of uncertainty, but I've also accomplished things I once only dreamed about.

I'm still healing. I'm still learning. I'm still working toward becoming the best version of myself.

And if there's one thing I know for sure, it's that my story isn't finished.

Everything I've been through has taught me something, and I truly believe there's still so much more ahead of me.

About the Author

Regina D. Moore is a mother, wife, author, early childhood education professional, Certified Grief & Loss Specialist, and proud graduate of Capella University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She is the author of Healing & Hope Through Grief: A Compassionate Guide to Living Again and Healing & Hope Through Grief: A Reflective Healing Workbook. Through her writing and personal experiences, she hopes to encourage others to keep going, embrace healing, and never give up on themselves.