By Deborah Holmen, M.Ed., NBCT, CLC When trauma hits, it doesn’t arrive politely. It interrupts. It changes your sleep, your appetite, and your attention span. It can make the familiar seem strange—your home, your relationships, even your own body. People often talk about “getting back to normal.” But after something big, normal may not be the goal. Sometimes the real work is learning to live in the life you have now, without letting what happened define you. Rethinking 'Norm

You’re not alone—so many people find themselves wrestling with conflicting feelings when life spins in opposite directions for us and those we love. When you’re grieving and your friend is thriving, that contrast can sting like a Florida sunburn, all hot and prickly where you least expect it. Psychological research backs up what you’re feeling: transitions, especially those involving loss, can leave us emotionally tender and thrown off balance.