We grieve all sorts of things: a parent who can’t really show up for you, a marriage that’s deteriorating, a gendered self we tried to wear for decades, the body we once trusted, the dream we carried for years and never got to live. These living losses hurt. And like all grief, they bring us—eventually, repeatedly—to a place we call acceptance. But what if acceptance isn’t what we think it is?

We often think about relationships in terms of building, growing, and nurturing. But what about when they change dramatically or end altogether? The transitions that reshape our connections with others—divorces, breakups, family estrangements, friendships that drift apart— can be among life's most painful experiences. These moments can challenge not just our emotional wellbeing but often our very identity. This is where radical acceptance becomes not just helpful, but essential.