Child Loss

Laundry, Before and After

By Jacqueline Dooley

I used to resent the endless sorting, washing and folding. Then my daughter got sick — and everything changed.

Seeing My Daughter in Other People

By Muriel Schofield

After she died, I was captivated by those who looked like her.

Grief Bacon: The Masks I Wear

By Melanie Gruenwald

My child's cancer diagnosis abruptly halted reflection on my own post-cancer body and soul. But after he died, it came roaring back.

Traveling the World With My Daughter’s Ashes in Tow

By Becky Livingston

In Ireland, alongside an empathic stranger, I watched Rachel's cremains scatter with the wind.

Screening Calls for My Dead Son

By Casey Mulligan Walsh

‘Sorry, he’s not here.’ You have no idea how sorry I am Eric’s not here.

Built for Two, But Minus One

By Mark Gunther

Grief is one of the deep intimacies of our marriage. Our tandem riding reflects that.

6 Tips for Talking to Kids About Death

By Michelle DuBarry

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.

My Grief is F*cking Funny

By Emily Rapp Black

Why I never pass up a chance to laugh my ass off. Especially when I'm grieving.

The Ugliest Side of Grief

By Dalit Kaplan

Jealousy is already a tough emotion to grapple with. Pairing it with a stillbirth brings out a whole new monster.

Writing With Heart From Behind Bars

By Allison Langer

I teach memoir writing at a prison. One week, the topic was loss. My students really went there — and so did I.

After a Teenager’s Death, Metaphors Fail

By Goldberry Long

My friend's 16-year-old daughter was hit by a car and I struggled to write about it. Because no words can truly encapsulate the zero of grief.

What This Mother Told Her Dying Son

By Laura Gilkey

Her words were perfect.

The Sewing Blogs Were My Salvation

By Susanne Grabowski

After my baby died, I didn’t know what to do with my hands. But then I found the sewing blogs.

‘I’m Not Done Being Your Mom’

By Caryn Anthony

My son is gone, but our relationship — surprisingly — continues to evolve.

What I Tell My Kids About Their Brother Who Died Before They Were Born

By Michelle DuBarry

Even in Seamus' absence, our four-person household continues to feel to us like a family of five.

The Billy Joel Concert That Saved Me

By Ruth Tepler Roth

By taking me to that show, what remained of my family in the aftermath of my son’s suicide was telling me, ‘Please come back to us. We still need you.’

The Hummingbirds Who Lightened My Grief

By Jacqueline Dooley

When my daughter died, I hated the sun for rising without her. I wept as the world turned green and flowers burst open. But the backyard birds were a different story.