My mother had just passed away, and I found myself in an environment where I couldn't properly process what had happened. I had to keep functioning. There was no room to sit with the reality of losing the person who had been my best friend and cheerleader. Instead of grieving, I moved forward as though nothing had happened. Looking back now, I can see that I wasn't consciously making a decision to suppress my grief. I was simply responding to what I was experiencing at the time.