Passion and Purpose in Life After Loss
I am participating in #BLOGCHATTERA2Z YEAR 2025 & Blogging from A to Z Challenge! Life doesn’t wait for permission to move forward. After I lost my husband, I wasn’t sure I had the energy or desire to rebuild. But slowly, quietly, I began piecing myself back together through the passions that had always lived in me. They hadn’t disappeared. They were simply waiting for my return.Passion and Purpose in Life After Loss How I Found My Inner Fire Again
Cooking: The Beginning of Healing
I didn’t just stir pots in my kitchen- I stirred memories, emotion, and resilience. Cooking became my therapy. I entered cook-offs, judged cooking contests, conducted cookery classses, shared my recipes online, and even auditioned for MasterChef India. It wasn’t about fame. I have published two recipe books on Kindle which were in the top ten on Amazon. It was about feeling like myself again- capable, creative, and alive.
Travel: Discovering Myself Along the Road
With every journey, I found something I didn’t know I had lost. Travel gave me freedom, space, and a fresh perspective. From the mountains of Kashmir to quiet walks in unfamiliar towns, I didn’t travel to escape, I travelled to return to myself. New places reminded me that the world was still full of wonder, and that healing doesn’t always happen in stillness. Sometimes, it unfolds on winding roads, with a bag in hand and an open heart.
My Family: My Anchors
My children gave me hope when everything felt uncertain. And now, my two grandsons, Arian and Amir, fill my world with joy, laughter, and love that’s pure and grounding. Every time they call me G-ma, I feel wrapped in their pure, boundless love. Their presence reminds me every day why I keep moving forward.
Music: My Constant Companion
From retro melodies to Bollywood rhythms, music has carried me through my darkest and brightest moments. I’ve never gravitated toward sad songs—instead, my Caravan radio stays tuned to romance. Music didn’t try to fix me. It simply stayed, reminding me that even in stillness, there’s beauty, rhythm, and peace. It simply stayed, reminding me that even in stillness, there’s beauty, rhythm, and peace. Whether it was a Kishore Kumar classic or a RD Burman’s dance beat, music had a way of lifting my spirit and making even the loneliest afternoons feel complete.
Writing: Giving My Voice Room to Breathe
Wordsmithkaur.com began as a space to share recipes and thoughts. Over time, it became much more—my mirror, my outlet, my quiet act of resilience. Through words, I turned pain into perspective, building not just healing, but community.
Writing taught me to sit with my emotions instead of pushing them away. It helped me make sense of grief, single parenting, aging, and rebirth. When I wrote, I wasn’t just documenting life—I was actively shaping it. And with every post, every shared memory, I felt less alone. It became a connection. It became a community. My stories were no longer just mine; they became a thread connecting me to others walking similar paths.
Brave Inked Emotions is my 1st published paperbacked anthology. Mine is the first chapter I Never Gave Up . My blog on Srinagar is now part of the 6th-grade CBSE English curriculum for 2024-25! 📚
The Stage: A Dream Restored
As a teenager, I dreamt of dance, of lights, of performing. Life redirected me, early marriage and motherhood asked me to set that world aside. And I did, with love.
But dreams don’t vanish. They wait. And when I was ready, I returned—not as a girl, but as a woman who had faced loss and risen from it. I walked the ramp for a saree brand, and later, for Orra Diamond Jewellery. I wasn’t modelling clothes—I was wearing my journey.
Now, I dance again. Slowly. Joyfully. Not to impress, but simply because I still can.
Passion Guided Me to Purpose
I’m not who I used to be. I’m softer, fiercer, wiser. I wear many hats now—writer, cook, traveller, grandmother—but all of them are rooted in passion. And that passion continues to fuel me—through every storm, every silence, and into every bright tomorrow.
This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
The A2Z List
- Awakening-Ignite your Spark
- Bloom Bravely-Choose Courage & Self-love
- Clear Mental Clutter for Growth
- Rise with Determination
- 8 Steps to Embracing Your True Essence
- Finding Work-life Balance
- Gratitude: Fuelling Growth with Thankfulness
- Healing: Turning My Power into Pain
- Inner strength: Awakening the warrior within
- Joyful Living: Creating a Life of Joy & Purpose
- Kindness to Myself & Others
- Letting Go: Making Space for Peace
- Mindfulness Matters: Breath by Breath
- Nurturing Yourself:Effective self care strategies
- Overcoming Obstacles: From Grief to Growth
@wordsmithkaur
@wordsmithkaur
I’m amazed to read many hats you adorn with Panache. A catastrophic death didn’t break you but led you to a path of self discovery. A wonderful chef, cookbook writer, published author, mother, a globetrotter who explores life calls for a fantastic celebration of womanhood. Live your resilient optimism and zeal to embrace life. God bless❤️
Thank you so much, Bhavna. I am just trying to do my best for me.
You are an inspiration. I have seen you wearing so many hats .You are an amazing writer, published author and a great grandmother . keep inspiring us
Thanks for your appreciation, Jyoti. I just do what my heart says.
I think this piece captures grief with such grace: it’s honest, reflective, and quietly hopeful. Really resonated with me.
It’s rare to see someone write about grief and purpose without sounding preachy, but you’ve done it so beautifully, with honesty that lingers.
You amaze me with your grace and beauty and the way you have risen from the ashes and reinvented yourself. Your writing and these beautiful pictures will give hope to so any others struggling with purpose after facing major setbacks.
This post truly resonated with me. I’ve learned that embracing passion and purpose after loss is a journey of healing and self-discovery. This is a beautiful reminder to live intentionally and with heart.
I love reading your blogs. With each post, I feel like I get to know you a little more, and every time, I’m amazed by your grit and passion to keep moving forward. You are truly inspiring. Despite all that you’ve been through, you haven’t let anything hold you back. While I can’t even begin to imagine your grief, what I see now is a fierce and strong woman leading by example. Hats off to you!
You are on the path of finding your way to the other side, Harjeet. Nothing that you do will compensate for the losses you faced; however, the attempt to move on matters. You are an inspiration.
Truly passion fuels our purpose. I like travelling and meeting new people, learning new things. It’s lovely to refresh yourself with new skills. congrats for the books. I have yet to take action on self publishing!
Sometimes when things don’t turn up the way we would have wanted, it leads us to immense despair. And I agree with you these are the times when we can work on ourselves and our passions. This is a very inspiring post.
This was such a moving and powerful read. I’ve been following your journey for so long now, and it’s incredible to see how you’ve turned your pain into purpose with so much grace. Your journey continues to inspire me every single time.
Harjeet ma’am, you are an inspiration to millions! I was shook to the core when I had read your story way back. But the way you have rebuilt yourself, is groundbreaking and we learn from you, every time!
I love how you weave passion and purpose together, showing that life after loss can still be full of meaning. Your honesty about the healing journey is so inspiring. Keep going!
Being Passionate to embrace something new in life is utterly the best way to rejuvenate our soul and to give purpose to the existence in this universe. You are truly inspirational. God bless you
I’m so sorry to hear about the loss that I was never aware of. You’re such a dynamic personality and an inspiration to many. You did every thing right to heal from the irreplaceable loss and the results are in front of us all. Congratulations on achieving a lot of milestones and finding that spark in life.
You are an inspiration with all that you are doing for yourself and your family is sopmething that will keep you going in the long run.
Such a heartening and uplifting post. I loved it and more power to all that you are doing to keep yourself engaged and not drown yourself in loneliness. I loved the part about listening to songs. And I hope your pen becomes all the more powerful as days goes by.
More power to you. People like me are silently watching you take strides towards your freedom and feeling so proud of you and inspired by you. May you achieve more. Best wishes and lots of love.
It’s so inspiring to see you make a wonderful life for yourselves after being dealt with so harshly by life. You look radiant in that ramp walk!
Your journey moved me deeply. Each word radiates strength, warmth, and wisdom. From loss to rediscovery, your passions became a lifeline—not just healing you, but inspiring so many of us
Congratulations on your blog becoming part of syllabus and for walking the ramp. Way to go
Your’s is an inspirational story. Thank you for sharing. Passion and purpose really drives you thourgh patch of loss and grief.
I have a new found appreciation for your and how you portrayed your healing journey. Your wise words have brought me courage and passion to challenge myself. I always fear of doing things and getting judged but your blog is giving me the courage of living for myself. Thank you for this power packed blog!
Kudos to you – keep going!