Mother Loss

Rosie O'Donnell and Barbra Streisand smiling together at an event in November 1997, both in evening wear, standing close with arms around each other.

Rosie O’Donnell Cried on TV With Barbra Streisand in 1997. It Taught Me How to Grieve.

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Her vulnerability after my mom's suicide gave me permission to stop hiding mine.

A loosely knotted ball of thick white rope sits on the right side of a vivid hot pink background, with several frayed strands beginning to unravel. The large area of empty space on the left creates a minimalist composition, suggesting the slow process of untangling a complicated relationship.

I Never Made Peace with Mom Before She Died

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A priest, a medium, and years of therapy taught me grief doesn't need closure — just compassion.

Two people sitting apart on a couch, not touching

“Take Care of Her” Became a Life Sentence

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How my mother’s final request bound me to a relationship I couldn’t fix—and couldn’t leave.

Writing the Story My Mother Never Got to Tell

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Long after her death, I used the tools of journalism to reckon with memory, regret, and love.

The Hot Tears, Red-Blotches-on-Your-Face, Autopilot Sides of Grief

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What I learned about the natural range of emotions after my sister's and mom's deaths

I Met My Fiancé in a Modern Loss Support Group

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When I logged onto Zoom to lead a session on friendship, my true love was waiting in the grid.

Grieving in Blue

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After my mom died, I discovered a world of new meaning in my favorite color.

The Vaccine Wasn’t Ready in Time to Save Mom

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In the minutes after getting my jab, it was hard not to think about time. If my mother had fallen now instead of then, she likely would have already received her COVID shots.

I Became A Grandmother At Age 30

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My kids have no idea what they are missing by not having my mother around. So I try and make sure they don’t miss a thing,

Letters From My Dead Mom in Animal Crossing

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We never meet the video game's Mom character, so my mind fills in the blanks with the face of my own.

Things I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You About Your Funeral

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From a TV anchor mourner to a dive bar 'post-party,' you really would've loved it.

Will I Be All Right Again in 2021?

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In 2019 my mom died. In 2020 we had a family suicide, a botched burial, and a catastrophic pandemic. Now, I’m looking ahead to 2021 — with (gasp!) hope.

A Person Is a World

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My mother’s death was followed closely by the pandemic — creating this strange and still and endless space in which everyone is grieving something.

How Day of the Dead Gave Me Life

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Embracing the Mexican tradition helped me deal with my anger after my mom's death.

What I Wish I Could Tell My Younger Grieving Self

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45 years after my mom died, I finally know the impact of loss across time.

Rapid Cycling Through the Stages of Grief on Amazon

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I went online to buy an urn and made a surprisingly meaningful connection.

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.

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.

12 Diverse YA Books That Taught Me About Grief

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I turned to the genre for a distraction and got so much more.

After a Mother’s Death, Drawing All The Things

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Art speaks volumes when words fail, and especially in 'The Imaginary Library.'

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