grief

Looking at her left-behind crossword puzzles, I had retrieved at least one constant in my mother’s life: her love of puzzles and word games.

Superstition ruled my mind. More than I realized. I had no idea, within hours, there’d be no child to mother. And then he was gone. And we were childless.

I never imagined myself being anyone’s wife so I grieved for my single life when I got married. I began to secretly long for the life I’d left behind.

Last April, my dad died two days before his 58 birthday after struggling with Huntington's Disease for over a decade. This is my first year without a dad.

After my mother’s suicide in 2009, I was left with a gnawing sense of guilt. My mother had suffered from an undiagnosed delusional disorder.

Is it okay to mourn the child that never was? That seeped into my blood without my even noticing? I only delivered one baby but I was pregnant with two.

In what’s been the most difficult year of my life, animal companionship has been as essential to my mental wellbeing as the time spent with my family.

My dad died. I only know my own grief, and even that is debatable. If you’re hoping to comfort someone who’s grieving, here are a couple of things to know.