For my whole life, I defined myself as a daughter

my precious parents' baby daughter, their child

that role, that identity, was more than just a title

it was a part of my soul, that filled with their love

that brought me a sense of belonging and security

as they were my guide, my sounding board, and

my greatest source of pure and unconditional love

I was already familiar with the deep ache of loss

when my dear Dad passed away all those years ago

but the moment my darling Mum was taken from me

that role shifted in a way I was so not prepared for

as I lost the most important relationships in my life

I no longer have two people, who reminded me of

where I came from, who saw me stumble and succeed

Losing them both was more than just my profound pain

it was the theft of my very identity, the loss of who I was

a core part of my being that I did not even realise was

so strongly and closely intertwined with their presence

I am left wondering: who am I without them by my side?

the daughter I was, the one who found her identity in

the unbreakable bond with her parents, was shattered

Grief has taken so much from me, as painful as it is

it can never take away the bond and love we shared

I am learning to live with this dual reality of being

both the person I was before, and the person I am now

my identity may have changed, but not entirely vanished

in the end, I am still their daughter, and I always will be

it is an identity I have always known, and I will never lose