It’s Complicated

Countdown to Forever

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Sydney, the dog my ex and I share, is dying. How do I say goodbye? 

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.

My Therapist Is No Longer a Phone Call Away

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She counseled me through my young husband's death, through raising children, blending families, and so much more. Now she's gone.

Losing My ‘Naming Rights’

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A cousin named her daughter after my mom before I could.

Are You There Dad? It’s Me, Samantha.

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Two years after my father's mysterious death, I'm finally embracing his life lessons as a way to live mine.

Dogs Can Tell Time

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

The Myth of Protecting People from Suffering

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When we try to shield people from pain in an effort to not break their hearts, we end up doing just the opposite.

A Therapist Says Goodbye

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We are not ‘friends’ with those we treat. But many of our patients make a very deep and lasting impression on us.

My Dad Was Dying While I Was Divorcing

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I vowed never to speak with my ex-husband again. Then my father was diagnosed with leukemia.

A Fitting Farewell in Atlantic City

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Here’s how we said goodbye to my clever, caustic, complicated mother.

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.

Vacant Seats

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I heard about Justice Scalia’s death at one of my last dinners with my beloved, if complicated, father. Months on, as the justice’s seat sat unfilled, so did Dad’s.

11 People You Meet in Hell

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Minimizers, vultures, happy morons, competitors at the Sad Olympics and other people you’re bound to encounter on your grief journey.

Help! My Sister Keeps Posting Photos of Our Dead Father (and Tagging Me) on Social

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Our advice columnist on what to do when your sibling keeps posting pics of your dead dad and tagging you on Facebook. #sigh

Meet the Widex

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Eight years after we divorced, my sons’ father was dead — and I went from the ex to something more complicated.

My Father’s Death Reminded Me I Married a Good Man

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My dad, on the other hand, was a cherished friend and a terrible husband.

Losing My Son’s ‘First Mommy’

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When the troubled woman who gave birth to my little boy died at age 31, I realized just how much I’d been riding on her imagined recovery.

Four Days

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It is fundamentally heartbreaking to meet the love of your life so soon after losing the person who was most fanatically committed to your happiness.

Sabin Modern Loss

My Summer of Few Words

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In the quiet of my solitude after loss and abuse, I noticed a voice I hadn't heard before -- mine.

‘Daddy, Daddy, Where Are You?’

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After 9/11 my son asked for his father dozens of times a day, everyday — for nine years.

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