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Life & Becoming
grief, growth, faith, reflections


You May Not Realise You're Grieving: Signs of Unresolved Grief
Grief does not always look like sadness. Sometimes it looks like anger, emotional numbness, overworking, control, distance, fear of attachment, or guilt around feeling happy. This is a reflection on the quieter ways unresolved grief can shape how we live, love, and see ourselves.
Mary Makite
Aug 258 min read


My Parents’ Journey: Love, Sacrifice, Loss, and What Remains
My parents built a life shaped by love, sacrifice, perseverance, and family. After losing them both, I began to understand my mother’s struggles, the life they built together, and what it means to honour their legacy while leaving justice to God.
Mary Makite
Aug 116 min read


The Silent Weight of Suppressing Grief
Many people carry grief in silence, telling the world they're "fine" while quietly navigating loss beneath the surface. This article explores why we suppress grief, how it can show up in everyday life, and why giving ourselves permission to acknowledge our emotions is an important step toward healing.
Mary Makite
Aug 45 min read


Life After Loss: Embracing Fragility, Faith, and Hope
Losing the people we love changes more than our hearts. It changes how we see life, fear, faith, and the future. This personal reflection explores grief's quiet fears, the vulnerability that follows loss, and the hope found in God's constant presence.
Mary Makite
Jul 256 min read


Reclaiming My Identity Through Grief and the Last Spoon of Self-Care
Losing both of my parents transformed my understanding of grief, identity, and healing. This is the story of learning to protect my last spoon while rebuilding a life with purpose and hope.
Mary Makite
Jul 227 min read


Understanding Grief Beyond Death: The Many Forms of Loss
Grief doesn't only follow death. Discover the many forms of grief, why some losses go unrecognized, and how greater grief literacy can help us better understand, support, and heal through life's many transitions.
Mary Makite
Jul 156 min read


The Different Ways We Remember Those We've Lost
There is no right way to remember someone you've lost. This personal reflection explores grief, continuing bonds, and the many ways love continues beyond loss.
Mary Makite
Jul 134 min read


Grief and Everyday Life: When the World Doesn't Pause
After someone you love dies, there are moments when you wish the world would pause. Not forever, just long enough to catch your breath, make sense of what has happened, or simply exist without another demand being placed on you. But it doesn't stop. As I explore in Beyond "I'm Sorry": Understanding the Complexity of Grief, grief is far more than sadness. It quietly reshapes every part of life. Instead, your alarm goes off. Your phone buzzes. The bills arrive. Someone asks wha
Mary Makite
Jul 64 min read


The Lessons Loss Teaches About Living
Loss changes more than what we grieve. Discover the lessons loss teaches about living, finding purpose after loss, and embracing a more intentional, meaningful life.
Mary Makite
Jul 25 min read


How Grief and Health Anxiety Became Connected
Could grief be making you fear the worst about your health? After losing both of my parents, I found myself caught in a cycle of symptom-checking, late-night Google searches, and fears that something was seriously wrong. In this article, I explore the connection between grief and health anxiety, how loss can affect the body, and the lessons I've learned about reassurance, self-compassion, and healing.
Mary Makite
Jun 224 min read


Healing Through Service with Refuge Network International
Father's Day after loss felt especially heavy this year. Instead of spending the day alone with my grief, I joined Refuge Network International's first Nairobi outreach, where unexpected moments of kindness, connection, and service reminded me that healing and purpose can coexist.
Mary Makite
Jun 224 min read


Missing My Dad on Father's Day: A Daughter's Letter to Her Dad in Heaven
Father's Day looks different when your father is no longer here. This personal reflection explores grief, remembrance, and the enduring love that continues to shape a daughter's life long after loss.
Mary Makite
Jun 193 min read


Understanding Anticipatory Grief: Signs, Impact, and Coping
What happens when grief begins before a loss has even occurred? Anticipatory grief is the emotional experience of mourning what has not yet happened. Through my personal journey after losing my father, I explore the fears, emotions, and challenges that come with living in the shadow of a future loss.
Mary Makite
Jun 185 min read


Beyond "I'm Sorry": Understanding the Complexity of Grief
Grief is often mistaken for sadness, associated with tears, mourning, and immediate pain after a loss. However, grief is far more complex. It continues to influence how we remember, love, and navigate life long after condolences fade. As I explore in Grief and Everyday Life: When the World Doesn't Pause, grief doesn't simply affect our emotions. It quietly reshapes how we move through ordinary days. When I mention my parents have passed away, responses like "I'm so sorry" oft
Mary Makite
Jun 93 min read


The Hardest Part of Celebrations No One Talks About
Celebrations often carry more than joy. They can also remind us of the people we wish were still here to share them. In Empty Chairs and Lasting Love, I reflect on how grief shows up during milestones, holidays, and family gatherings, and how love continues to have a place at the table long after loss.
Mary Makite
Jun 53 min read


Finding Purpose? I Guess Mine Found Me.
Sometimes, purpose does not come wrapped in a neat package or a clear plan. It sneaks in quietly, shaped by moments we never asked for: loss, grief, survival, and healing. I never imagined the work I do now would become part of my life’s purpose. It wasn’t a goal I chased but something that found me through the hardest chapters of my life. How Life’s Unexpected Turns Shape Purpose Growing up, I pictured my future as something straightforward: a career, a family, a steady path
Mary Makite
May 213 min read


Rest, Reflection & Doing Things That Scare Me
Launching my website felt far more emotional than I expected. Not because everything was perfect, but because for the first time, I had created something deeply personal and allowed myself to be seen through it. Every page carried pieces of me; the grief, the growth, the rebuilding, and all the quiet late nights spent wondering whether any of it would matter at all. So after finally hitting publish, instead of feeling excited, relieved, or proud, I just felt exhausted. The ki
Mary Makite
May 183 min read


How Grief Quietly Reshapes Our Identity and Perception of Self
Grief is often seen as a wave of emotions that washes over us, but its effects run deeper. It's often mistaken for sadness alone, yet its impact extends far beyond our emotions. What Grief Really Feels Like and Why It's So Hard to Explain explores why grief is such a deeply personal experience and why its effects are often difficult to put into words. It does not just touch our feelings; it gently shifts how we see ourselves and the world around us. This quiet transformation
Mary Makite
May 23 min read


What Grief Really Feels Like and Why It’s So Hard to Explain
Grief is often spoken about in ways that feel distant from how it actually lands inside us. People talk about moving on, closure, and healing as if grief is a problem to solve or a stage to pass through quickly. But when you’re in it, grief doesn’t follow a neat timeline. It can feel heavy, confusing, and sometimes just plain uncomfortable. Does grief make you uncomfortable? How do you support your grieving friends? Do you sit with them in it, or try to move them out of it? T
Mary Makite
May 24 min read


Embracing Work Life Balance and the Journey of Becoming Yourself
Finding balance between work and life is a challenge many face today. The pressure to perform well at work while nurturing personal growth and happiness can feel overwhelming. This blog is a space to explore how systems, habits, and mindful choices can help you live a more balanced life and support your journey of becoming your true self. Understanding Work Life Balance Work life balance means different things to different people. For some, it’s about having enough time for f
Mary Makite
May 13 min read
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