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hersmile Dena M. From the outside appearance you would say Jenna Betti had a natural beauty about her. She was vivacious and outgoing. Jenna took a walk with a friend.

Derenale-Betti, who lost her 14-year-old daughter in a tragic accident, shares her journey of grief, resilience, and love through her books, blogs, and courses on hersmile.org, offering hope, strength, and healing to others facing grief and loss. Her laugh commanded the attention of a room and her smile propelled your spirit. In her 14 years she managed to amass an assembly of close friends. She l

oved to give her friends advice, compliment their beauty and talent she saw within them and share with them her splendor for life. To her family she was an amazing spark plug with the ability to keep the house fun and spirited. Jenna meant so many special things to so many different people. Then on Sunday, March 2, 2014 at 5:03 p.m. the unexplainable happened and the Betti family's lives were forever altered. They took the shortcut home, which was on the path of the train tracks. They sat down to talk and they carved into the railroad ties. Jenna had put her phone on the railroad ties when they were sitting there. A train quickly approached making very little sound. The two kids cleared the tracks but Jenna tragically died while trying to retrieve her forgotten cell phone from the tracks. "I'll never tell you the journey has been easy," her mother, Dena shares. "But we've learned that she is near even though we cannot see her, she is with us even though she feels so far away and she is in our hearts and soul forever."

When Grief Changes You… Relationships Change TooOne of the hardest parts of grief isn’t just losing someone you love.It’...
03/17/2026

When Grief Changes You… Relationships Change Too

One of the hardest parts of grief isn’t just losing someone you love.
It’s realizing that the loss changes how you move through the world… and often it changes how others relate to you.

Some friendships grow stronger after loss, but others quietly fade. Not always because people don’t care, but because standing beside someone in deep grief requires a kind of emotional grace that not everyone knows how to hold for very long.

In this piece, I talk about a part of grief that isn’t often discussed, the quiet divide that can form between those who have experienced profound loss and those who haven’t, and a few simple ways to help others better understand what living with grief is really like.

If you’ve ever felt like loss changed your relationships, this may resonate with you.

Read the full article here:
https://hersmile.org/how-to-explain-grief-to-people-who-havent-experienced-it/

If this speaks to you, feel free to share it. Someone else navigating loss might need to know they’re not alone.💛

💔 From Tragedy to Transformation: One Mother’s JourneyWhat happens when grief shatters everything you know, yet somehow,...
12/18/2025

💔 From Tragedy to Transformation: One Mother’s Journey

What happens when grief shatters everything you know, yet somehow, you find the strength to turn pain into purpose?

Gina’s story isn’t just about loss. It’s about resilience, advocacy, and discovering that love doesn’t end with death; it transforms. 🌟

Her path from unimaginable heartbreak to becoming a voice for change will move you… and maybe even inspire how you carry your own story forward.

👉 Read more, then tell us: How do you honor loved ones you’ve lost?

https://hersmile.org/turning-grief-into-advocacy-and-change/

💬 Comment below, ❤️ Like if this touched you, and 🔁 Share to spread hope.

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