Key points

Research shows that grief and joy are not emotional opposites but natural companions.

Allowing both to coexist helps regulate distress, foster resilience, and transform pain into meaning.

When we stop treating joy as a betrayal of grief, we open the door to healing that feels more whole and human.

Grief and joy seem like they should live on opposite sides of the emotional map — one heavy with loss, the other light with gain. But the truth is, they’re old travel companions. You’ll often find them showing up together, uninvited, holding hands at funerals, or whispering through heartbreak. A laugh in the middle of tears. Gratitude that sneaks in right after goodbye. The sudden warmth that comes from remembering someone who’s gone.

But because we see grief and joy as emotion

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