My Loss

I Am a ‘Tragedy Trust Funder’

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A modest surprise inheritance from my late husband allows me to raise my two young kids without having to go to work. So why do I feel so guilty about it?

Dogs Can Tell Time

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When our dog walker died by suicide, my pups missed her. So did I.

The 5 Stages of Grief: Horror Movie Edition

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My son's and mother's deaths sent me through a bizarre trajectory. I finally found my comfort in my beloved gruesome films.

That Time I Had A Pre-Funeral Beauty Supply Store Meltdown

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I went in for waterproof mascara but came out with so much more.

We Left Everything Unsaid

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When my husband got sick, we focused exclusively on hope; when he died, I was consumed with regret.

On Teaching Writing Through Grief

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I teach others how to tell their saddest stories. But when it came to my own brother’s loss, the words wouldn’t come — until they did.

Saeed Jones book excerpt, Modern Loss

I Came Out to My Family While Planning My Mother’s Funeral

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Reeling in brand-new grief, I felt more like my true self than ever before.

21 Things I Hate — and Love — About Being a Widow

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Few things in life are black and white, especially in the wake of a death.

Returning to School After My Stillbirth

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My students were witness to my very public loss.

Searching for Signs

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The ninja squirrel in my kitchen wasn't my late husband saying 'hello.' It was a reminder of my new, unwanted role: single mother.

10 Lessons I Learned from My Friend’s 9/11 Death

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My best friend vanished without a trace that day. But the mark she made on my life has been indelible.

What My Grief Feels Like: An Illustrated Guide

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It changes your body, sometimes in ways you can see and always in ways you can't.

My Grief Made Me A Warrior

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Single and childless, I was used to doing things on my own. But the aftermath of my mother's death brought my loneliness to a whole new level.

It’s All ‘Grief Yoga’

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After my husband died, I brought a towel to exercise class to mop tears — not sweat.

We Held a Fake Wedding So My Dying Dad Could Be There

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Bridal magazines don’t really cover these unglamorous issues.

Having a Dead Sibling Is Full of Contradictions

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It’s been a decade since my brother died. His death has shaped me and it has confounded me — with its curses and blessings, too.

In the Face of Death, We Laughed

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As AIDS ravaged my friend's body, levity carried us through the end.

My Mom’s Final Gift to My Girlfriend and Me

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She pushed me away when I came out to her at 30. Right before she died, she pulled me back in.

How a Psychic Medium Broke Through My June Gloom

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An unexpected exchange reconnected me with my vivacious friend years after her death.

To the Widowed Dad on Father’s Day

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Being a ‘good enough’ parent is precisely what your grieving children need.

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