Lately Posts

At some point in each of our lives, we will experience grief. It’s one of our truly universal shared experiences as humans, yet the loss of a loved one is often incredibly isolating. Western cultures especially have constructed conflicting attitudes...

Death is never easy, but amid the current COVID-19 epidemic, losing a loved one is even more heartbreaking. Severe restrictions on visiting the sick have been enacted for safety, but they have also limited our ability to offer physical comfort and sh...

There are plenty of articles out there on coping with grief during the holidays. Experts tell you what to “do” to feel better.  In my case, I’m writing from a different perspective. Technically I am a “thanatology fellow,” which means I’ve studi...

When I was thirteen, I was a fat kid who was tired of being bullied, called ugly by girls, getting chosen last for sports and games, and just being slow and lethargic. Then one day I tried a simple run at a nearby school track, and it changed me.&nbs...

When do you tell people that someone important to you has died? “Mommy, Mommy!” It was the voice of my nine-year-old son, who can be pretty darned persistent even when he just wants more macaroni and cheese before soccer practice. At the time, I...

If you’ve said goodbye to a dearly loved pet, you know there’s a special kind of sadness that accompanies this sort of loss. The grief you may experience after losing a pet is not to be diminished or underestimated. It is real, it is valid and there’...