Parenting After Loss

Att vara äldre än min pappa

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Jag har aldrig slutat att gråta för allt han har gått misste om. Men när jag passerade åldern då han dog, ändrades något.

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.

My Little Fictions Legacy

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Dad applied his gifts for narrative to everything from pornography to children's stories. One of those brought my son and him together after he died.

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.

We Left Everything Unsaid

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When my husband got sick, we focused exclusively on hope; when he died, I was consumed with regret.

Searching for Signs

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The ninja squirrel in my kitchen wasn't my late husband saying 'hello.' It was a reminder of my new, unwanted role: single mother.

To the Widowed Dad on Father’s Day

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Being a ‘good enough’ parent is precisely what your grieving children need.

Becoming My Father — For My Son

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I cannot rescue my dad, but I can mentor my child.

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.

Five Short Years, Five Whole Years

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Since my daughter was born, time has somersaulted, raced, oozed — giving me new perspective on the few years I had with my own mother.

‘My Death Stories Are My Birth Stories’

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That precious, precarious, otherworldly state of giving birth reminded me of something else: grief.

The Motherless Mother I’ve Become

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Life with loss has a new dimension that informs the joy — complicating it and sweetening it, too.

Big Black Sunglasses Modern Loss

My Big Black Sunglasses

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I bought a pair to shield myself during my mother's demise. Little did I know they'd lovingly do so through all types of loss.

‘Smad’ and Other Words Born of Grief

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In the year since my husband died, there have been many lessons — and a few new vocabulary words.

7 Ways To Accommodate Little Kids at a Funeral

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Having my kids at my mom’s funeral was the right thing for our family. Here’s what helped.

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.  

How I Rediscovered My Professional Drive After a Stillbirth

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For “The Americans” costume designer, returning to work turned out to mean more than just punching the clock

The Clenching Curse

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Those hips don't lie. Even in grief.

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 Show Must Go On

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My mom’s life went dark after cancer won out. But it didn’t mean my beloved theater-going had to as well.

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