Modern Loss Favorites

‘Call It Grief and Then See if it Changes How You View it’

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Grief can have a clarifying effect, a way of lasering away the mundane. Here's how you can apply some lessons from loss to this year's surreal new world.

How I’m Creating the Grief Vocabulary My Language Doesn’t Have

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The Dutch wish each other strength to move through tough times. But in loss, we need different words of support.

Dad-Die Issues

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Death brings up so many feelings and conversations. Plans to be made. Legacies to cement. I had none of that.

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.

Are You My Papi?

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As a young man, I lost my father to AIDS-related illness. Now I search for echoes of him in the men I choose to love.

My Instagram Therapy

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With @textsforjohn, I can still walk through the world looking for things to share with my brother — even though he’s no longer here.

The 9 Things No One Tells You About Scattering Ashes

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Nine things no one tells you about scattering ashes.

Mizuko Kuyo: Japan’s Powerful Pregnancy Loss Ritual

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At a Buddhist temple far from home, this ceremony provided me solace.

Why I Told Anne Lamott My Husband Died

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I promised myself I wouldn’t, but then I opened up to a writer I’ve long admired about the most surreal, unbelievable thing that has ever happened to me.  

When My Husband Died, Facebook Became My Boyfriend

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Some people see social media as a trigger during times of great suffering. But after my husband died, it helped me stay afloat amid my grief.

Mom’s Memory Was My ‘Something Blue’

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How I incorporated my late mother into my wedding celebration. Plus, great tips for memorializing a loved one at your nuptials.    

The Obituarist

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After escaping the World Trade Center on 9/11, I left Wall Street to become a professional obituary writer. I never looked back.

Saving the Date for a Wedding That Will Never Take Place

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I was supposed to be married on November 9, but tragedy stopped this self-proclaimed ‘Bridezilla’ in her tracks.

4 Ways to Take Charge of Funeral Planning

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No need to be passive about it; you've got more options than you might think.

It’s Hard To Rattle the Dead, But I’m Trying

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Aunt Sherrie died by suicide, leaving me her best leather boots and a Barbie collection for the ages. If only she could see those things now.

The Un-Telling

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I shared our pregnancy news early — asserting that I wanted my community with me in joy, but also in potential sorrow. Now that I had miscarried, there were so many calls to make.

6 Tips for Talking to Kids About Death

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We can’t gloss over the topic without denying a fundamental part of our lives and our family. Here’s how we navigate the conversation.  

10 Ways to Overcome Grief-Related Anxiety

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The author of a new book offers her step-by-step guide to managing the monster sibling of grief.

It’s Halloween: Trigger Treat

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Halloween imagery takes on new meaning in the wake of my father’s suicide.

How To Write an Obituary: A Primer

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The tips you need for crafting a compelling true-life story (plus: examples of obits that got it right).

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