Personal Essays

The GOP Won’t Stop Texting My Dead Dad

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My father died before the pandemic and the election season's fever pitch. Now, every political ping reminds me of the first time we were truly divided.

Hoe Ik Het Rouwvocabulaire Maak Dat Mist in Onze Taal

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Sterkte. Dat is wat we in het Nederlands zeggen om elkaar kracht te wensen als er iets moeilijks is gebeurd. We wensen elkaar nooit zachtheid of de openheid om het allemaal te kunnen ervaren.

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.

‘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 Found an Unexpected Gift in the Berkshire Hills

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My New York City apartment ceased being a happy place after my partner died. Over the years, and especially during this pandemic, my second home became my salvation.

‘The Only Way Out Is Through’

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I was 18 when my dad died and not one member of my supportive South Asian network recommended therapy. Here's why they should have.

‘Your Papa Is Right Here’

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After my husband died, an old friend asked me what he could offer me, beyond words. I thought of something that our young sons could treasure.

My Relationship With My Dad Changed After My Mom Died

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Here's what I learned about embracing a new dynamic with a surviving parent.

He Told Me to Get On With My Life — and Now, I Have

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10 years after my husband's suicide and a slew of shockingly unexpected struggles, I am finally living in the here and now.

A Widowed Mother’s Day à la COVID-19

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In the midst of a global pandemic, this day might actually feel a bit more aligned with what I want it to be.

The Grief Cliché of the COVID Era

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My late brother would have been extremely susceptible to the virus that has upended our lives. But don’t tell me to be grateful that he’s gone. 

Surviving the Agony of Anticipation

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As I see the world sink into the abyss amid the coronavirus pandemic, I recall the first days after my daughter Talia’s terminal diagnosis.

What Siblings Day Means to Someone with a Dead Sister

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This didn't actually begin as an Instagram holiday, you know.

A Rabbi’s Reluctant Lesson in Grief

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I paid a painful price to become a better leader for my congregation.

I Lost My Racial Identity When My Mother Died

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Grieving as a mixed race person made me confront my imposter syndrome.

The Gifts of ‘Grief Brain’

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Even as life propelled me forward, I was no longer the same person I had been before Rob’s death. More specifically: My thinking had changed.

His Beautiful Death

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As my love lay dying beside me, I transformed our cold hospital room into a sacred space.

My Boyfriend Died — and There’s No Word for My Loss

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He was the man I had hoped to marry, but others see our relationship in more ambiguous terms.

GRIEF BACON: That Time I Smelled Like Booze and Old Cake

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After my husband's sudden death, I ate, drank and sobbed my way through entirely unstable territory.

Processing My Friend’s Death in the Sound Studio

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My podcast helped me work through who I am - and who I want to be - when I was questioning everything.

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