The first anniversary of losing someone you love is… complicated. There’s no other word for it. It’s a mix of tenderness, sadness, love, nostalgia, and maybe even a few unexpected giggles at memories that still make you smile. Grief is strange like that. It hurts and heals at the same time.
This milestone can feel heavy, confusing, or strangely quiet. But it also gives you a moment to pause, honor your person, feel what you need to feel, and look at how far your heart has come. Journaling can be incredibly grounding during this time, it helps you make space for memories, express emotions you’ve tucked away, and reconnect with the parts of yourself that loss has reshaped.
So here’s a gentle, comforting list of 200 journal prompts for the first anniversary of losing a loved one. Use them slowly. Take them in small pieces. Cry if you need to. Laugh when it comes naturally. And above all, give yourself grace. Find more conversation starters here.
Table of Contents
First Anniversary Without Them: 200 Gentle Journal Prompts
Reflecting on the Past Year of Grief
- What is the very first memory that comes to mind when you think about them today?
- What has changed about your life since their passing?
- What has stayed the same?
- How would you describe your grief now compared to one year ago?
- What emotions are present for you today?
- What do you wish you could tell yourself from one year ago?
- What was the hardest moment of the year?
- What was a moment you didn’t expect to handle as well as you did?
- What surprised you most about your grieving process?
- What memory brought you comfort during this year?
- What moment made you miss them the most?
- What moment made you feel unexpectedly strong?
- What brought you peace during especially difficult days?
- What did you learn about your resilience?
- What did you learn about love this year?
- How has your perspective on grief changed?
- What helped you feel connected to them?
- What made you feel disconnected?
- What did you avoid feeling this year?
- What did you bravely feel even when it hurt?
Memories and Their Legacy
- What is one memory that always makes you smile?
- What memory still makes you tear up?
- What memory feels like a warm blanket?
- What memory feels like a punch in the chest?
- What memory captures their personality best?
- What was the funniest thing they ever said or did?
- What is your earliest memory of them?
- What is your favorite adult memory of them?
- What tradition reminds you of them?
- What song reminds you of them?
- What smell reminds you of them?
- What place makes you feel close to them?
- What object in your home carries their energy?
- What advice from them still guides you?
- What part of them lives on in you?
- What part of them lives on in others?
- What part of their personality do you miss the most?
- What silly memory brings you joy even now?
- What inside joke do you still find yourself laughing at?
- What memory feels like it happened yesterday?
Emotions, Healing, and Self-Compassion
- What emotion has been the hardest to sit with?
- What emotion surprised you the most this year?
- What emotion do you feel the most today?
- How do you comfort yourself when grief feels heavy?
- What have you learned about self-compassion this year?
- What makes you feel safe while grieving?
- What made you feel unsupported this year?
- What made you feel deeply supported?
- What fear did grief bring out in you?
- What helped calm that fear?
- What coping mechanisms helped you most?
- What coping mechanisms didn’t help at all?
- What new habits did grief teach you?
- What did grief force you to let go of?
- What did grief help you hold tighter?
- What did you learn about vulnerability?
- What did you learn about your emotional capacity?
- What helped you laugh again?
- What helped you breathe through the pain?
- What helped soften the sharp edges of loss?
Conversations You Wish You Could Have
- What is the first thing you would tell them if you could talk to them today?
- What is the last thing you wish you had said?
- What question would you ask them now?
- What moment from the year would you want to share with them?
- What accomplishment would you want them to know about?
- What struggle would you confess to them?
- What advice would you ask for?
- What joke would you tell them?
- What apology would you give?
- What comfort would you ask for?
- What would you thank them for today?
- What would you want them to know about your healing?
- What would you want them to know about your life now?
- What would you tell them you miss the most?
- What would you tell them you finally understand?
- What would you ask them about your future?
- What moment from your childhood would you relive with them?
- What moment from adulthood would you relive?
- What practical advice of theirs do you still use?
- What emotional wisdom of theirs do you still carry?
Your Relationship With Them
- What role did they play in your life?
- What did they teach you about love?
- What did they teach you about strength?
- What did they teach you about resilience?
- What part of them shaped you the most?
- What made your relationship unique?
- What made your relationship complicated?
- What made your relationship beautiful?
- What brought you closer to them?
- What sometimes pushed you apart?
- What was your favorite thing about how they loved you?
- What misunderstanding do you wish you could resolve?
- What boundary do you wish you could express now?
- What conversation would you redo if you could?
- What compliment would you give them today?
- What praise would they give you?
- What habit of theirs do you miss?
- What habit of theirs made you laugh?
- What habit of theirs drove you wild in the funny-not-funny way?
- What part of their personality still influences you?
Grieving While Living Your Life
- What everyday moment reminds you of them?
- What holiday felt the heaviest without them?
- What holiday felt unexpectedly peaceful?
- What did you accomplish this year despite your grief?
- What did you accomplish because of your grief?
- What changed about your priorities?
- What changed about your routines?
- What changed about your sense of time?
- What changed about your sense of self?
- What changed about your relationships?
- What became harder this year?
- What became easier?
- What felt impossible at first but manageable now?
- What do you wish others understood about your grief?
- What support from others meant the most?
- What support did you need but never received?
- What motivated you during hard weeks?
- What drained you emotionally?
- What brought you unexpected joy?
- What helped you keep going?
Remembering Their Life
- What was their favorite hobby?
- What was their favorite food?
- What was their favorite phrase?
- What was their favorite outfit?
- What was their favorite show or movie?
- What was their favorite place to go?
- What was their favorite season?
- What was their favorite holiday?
- What was their favorite story to tell?
- What was their favorite way to show love?
- What made them laugh the most?
- What made them cry?
- What frustrated them?
- What inspired them?
- What scared them?
- What excited them?
- What did they always stand for?
- What did they never tolerate?
- What made them truly happy?
- What made them uniquely them?
Your Healing, Growth, and Identity
- What is something you’re proud of surviving this year?
- What is something you’re proud of doing even while grieving?
- What have you learned about your strength?
- What have you learned about your softness?
- What have you learned about your capacity to love?
- What have you learned about your boundaries?
- What part of yourself grew the most?
- What part of yourself struggled the most?
- What part of yourself healed unexpectedly?
- What part of yourself still needs care?
- What helped you rediscover joy?
- What made you reconnect with hope?
- What helped you feel like yourself again?
- What made you feel unlike yourself?
- What did grief teach you about being human?
- What did grief teach you about courage?
- What did grief teach you about patience?
- What did grief teach you about surrender?
- What did grief teach you about healing?
- What did grief teach you about love?
If They Were Here Today
- How would they describe your progress this year?
- What would they be proud of you for?
- What would they tease you lovingly about?
- What advice would they give you about today?
- What advice would they give you about the future?
- What would they tell you to stop worrying about?
- What would they encourage you to continue doing?
- What would they want you to let go of?
- What would they want you to forgive yourself for?
- What would they want you to forgive others for?
- What would they celebrate with you?
- What would they lovingly roll their eyes at?
- What would they laugh at in your current life?
- What would they be fascinated to see you doing now?
- What would they think of the person you are becoming?
- What would they want for your next year?
- What would they encourage you to try?
- What would they remind you of?
- What would they thank you for?
- What would they want you to promise yourself?
Looking Ahead with Their Love in Mind
- What part of their love do you want to carry into this next year?
- What habit of theirs would you love to imitate?
- What value of theirs do you want to honor?
- What family tradition of theirs do you want to keep?
- What tradition do you want to reinvent?
- What intention do you want to set in their memory?
- What fear are you ready to release?
- What joy are you ready to welcome back?
- What dream are you ready to pursue?
- What change do you want to make in your life?
- What will you do on future anniversaries to honor them?
- What kind of life do you think they hoped you’d create?
- What kind of person do you think they knew you could become?
- What do you want to thank them for today?
- What do you want to thank yourself for today?
- What do you want to promise your heart?
- What do you want to promise your healing?
- What do you want to promise your future?
- What do you want to remember about them forever?
- What do you want to remember about yourself through this grief?
