How do you let go of a future you planned that is never going to happen?

It wasn't just a plan — it was a whole life you had already lived in your head, complete with details, timelines, and a version of yourself you were sure you'd become.

Grieving something that never existed is its own kind of loss, and the world doesn't really have a ritual for it.

Have you ever had to mourn a future that didn't come — how did you find a new direction, and is there a version of that dream you're still holding onto?