Child Loss

Van Gogh's Chair (1888) shown three times side by side — an empty wooden chair with a pipe on its seat.

My Daughter, Justice, Died Nine Years Ago. My Anticipatory Grief Didn’t.

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Prom dresses. Basketball games. The unlived losses keep building.

Megaphone shouting "Four More Years!"

Kids Who Die – and Their Families – Deserved a Second Term

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A longer, healthier, carefree life is something most of us take for granted, but one that many parents can’t fathom.

Is There Sex After Death?

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Burying your two children shrivels your dick up like a motherf*cker, but my wife and I found our way back to each other.

The Undeniable Magic of Being Truly Noticed

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I was shattered near the end of my young son's life. An extension of true compassion was an act of grace like no other.

Settling Into the Unknown

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A year after the death of my son and stepmom, I found new understanding while selecting a memorial tree.

How the Modern Loss Holiday Gift Swap Sparked a Powerful Friendship

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We were complete strangers who disentangled our lonely and complex feelings about grief together.

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.

You ‘Can’t Imagine’? Well, Neither Can I.

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People say a lot of useless shit to grieving people. Here's how to do better.

Laundry, Before and After

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

Seeing My Daughter in Other People

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

Masks - Modern Loss

Grief Bacon: The Masks I Wear

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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

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

Screening Calls for My Dead Son

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

Built for Two, But Minus One

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

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.  

My Grief is F*cking Funny

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

The Ugliest Side of Grief

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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

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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

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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

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Her words were perfect.

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