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Meet Patricia, Aunt Esther’s Amazon Alter Ego

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It was only after my aunt's death that I really got to know her -- through hundreds of Amazon.com product reviews.

My Two Dads

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When a motorcycle accident turned my father into a man we — and he — no longer recognized, I contemplated helping him die.

Dude, Where’s My Grief?

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One guy’s journey through the murky territory of loss, and the map it has left behind.

Exercise in Avoidance

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The walk home from school was long — like four-hours long the way we did it. But it kept us out of an apartment full of grief triggers.

Important Guidelines for Large Adult Orphans

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On the one hand, you must become both parent and child; on the other, you may request to to be flown to Rome for a pasta dinner.

Becoming My Father — For My Son

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I cannot rescue my dad, but I can mentor my child.

A Word for My Loss

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The Supreme Court ruled in favor of same sex marriage on what would have been my 28th anniversary with my partner. Though we were never able to marry, I consider myself a widower.

Love, Dad

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On my 8th fatherless Father's Day, my dad found a way to send me a handwritten message from the grave.

Bereavement Group Dropout

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Around a table full of widow-baked cookies, I absorbed the most profound of all death clichés, and I was done.

When You’re Everyone’s Favorite Grief Doula

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The first of my friends to lose a parent, I stand at the ready welcoming others into the club no one wants to join.

Writing a Book With My Mom Kept Her Memory Alive

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Now it's time to say goodbye (again).

‘My Death Stories Are My Birth Stories’

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That precious, precarious, otherworldly state of giving birth reminded me of something else: grief.

To Be a Motherless Mother on Mother’s Day

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Five years after my mom’s sudden death, the birth of my son returned to me something I had been missing.

Why I’m Eating French Fries on Mother’s Day

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My mom loved fresh vegetables, until she became too sick to eat them. Towards the end, all she — and I — could stomach was french fries.

What People (Don’t) Do After Hearing About a Friend’s Loss

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After a mother's death, a woman's inbox gets the cold shoulder from some valued pals. Our advice guru weighs in.

Take a Chance On Me

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Two days after my mom’s funeral, her friend Velma told me she had a surprise for me — and OMG, did she ever.  

The Bread I Still Can’t Bear To Bake

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Some people say grief is bitter, but I say it is nutty whole-wheat flavored, slightly sweet with molasses.

The Pain of the Mundane

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A young widow has some advice for going back to work ... and facing 4 other toughies after losing a spouse.

His Sister Was Dying as We Were Falling in Love

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I learned of her illness shortly after our first date. Her absence remains a presence still.

This Side of Paradise

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Hawaiian cemetery picnics have long been a family tradition, but one I have resisted since my father died.

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