The Chili Pot Grief Metaphor

One thing I've learned after losing both my parents before age 30 is that most people my age have a very limited concept of what grief feels like. Which is great for them! I love that! I don't want anyone to go through this. But since I have and I have to explain it this is my favorite weird metaphor:

Imagine you are suddenly cursed to carry around a giant pot of chili everywhere you go. You're not allowed to put it down, and for the first year or so it's sloshing over the sides and getting all over everything. You show up to parties and weddings and football games with your big-ass pot of chili on your lap and people keep asking why you have it, why you haven't put it down, or why you can't just leave it at home and have fun. But you can't! Because of the curse! And over time there's a little less chili in the pot. You find a chili container than fits in your pocket. And it still overflows occasionally, but you learn how to wrangle it. With enough time, you always learn how to wrangle it.