Let grief change things

I'm so sorry about the loss of your dad and your mom's dog. I've been thinking about your question this evening - and I will recommend a book (Lost & Found by Kathryn Schulz) but mainly I wanna say, let grief change you. When I lost my job and our dog died, I think I had originally expected to return to life and myself fairly unchanged. Feel it then move on. But grief profoundly changed things - my energy, my mood, my relationships, my needs and wants. I felt (and feel) transformed. Not always in ways I like or enjoy but acknowledging that everything has changed does feel honest. And then when things feel hard I'm a little more understanding with myself because well everything has changed. It lets me understand my current baseline.