Grief – The Roller Coaster Ride
By Sheetal Mihir Patel
Grief — Ride or Die.
A ride you don’t buy a ticket for.
There are times we want to stop the ride,
and be done.
There are times we feel like we’re flying through the air,
feeling the breeze.
And times where we think we can’t make it,
can’t breathe —
and feel like it’s the last day on earth.
Halfway down,
we learn to handle the feelings,
and start to think,
“It’s okay. You got this.”
Gravity comes from gratitude in our lives.
We learn to handle the situation.
And the moment we think we’ve got this,
the big curve comes again,
making us feel,
“Oh, shit. This sucks.”
Knowing how it feels,
your brain goes deeper into depression,
because you don’t want to feel that again.
It sucks,
and you know how ugly and terrible it can get
if you sit there too long.
You must find ways to get out.
Here comes the cycle —
doubts, fears,
and not being enough —
not just for others,
but for yourself as well.
Waiting for the moment
when we finally get to enjoy the ride.
If you’re lucky,
you’ll learn to enjoy it before it ends,
or it will end in fear and tears.
And before you know it,
it will end.
The moment you’ve been waiting for,
not knowing that once it ends,
there’s nothing left.
You get so caught up in making it through,
getting to the end —
when there is no end.
And where there is an end,
there is no beginning.
Life will never be the same.
It’s not the same.
the days when I get tired,
and I wish you were here —
to hold my hand,
and remind me that even the sharpest turns
don’t last forever.
To whisper, “It’s okay,”
not because it is,
but because we’ll carry on anyway.
I search for your voice in the silence,
for your light in the dark corners of my grief,
and I promise —
on the days I can’t find joy,
I’ll still look for meaning.
On the days I can’t see the path,
I’ll still take a step.
Because you lived,
and because you loved,
I will ride this ride with grace,
until the very end.
Till I see you again.
Till I see you again.
About the Author
Sheetal Mihir Patel is a mother whose writing began in the quiet hours of grief — during sleepless nights, heavy with emotion, when thoughts had nowhere else to go but the page. She never set out to be a writer, but loss has a way of giving voice to what the heart can no longer hold. After losing her husband, mother and several close family members, Sheetal found healing in reflection. She writes to honor not only her own pain, but the silent struggles of others. Through her words, she hopes to send a message to the world: You are not alone. Even in grief, we can find moments of connection, strength, and grace. It is time to make connections with ourselves, our thoughts, and our purpose. Our lives should be worth living with a purpose bigger than ourselves and the small world we know.
