Being consistently 'nice' and moving to the back of the line, so to speak, has its rewards. From the outside, self-sacrifice can look very much like compassion and kindness. But so often, it comes from a place of fear.

How often are we met with the need to hide, rush, or 'tidy up' our grief? We’re told—directly or indirectly—that we should “be strong,” “move on,” or “get back to normal.” But grief doesn’t work like that. It asks for us to be present and to feel, not manage it.