On the days when I am able to pull myself off the floor, there are arms to steady me. By Maria McDonnell
grief/loss
I wanted to learn how people managed to survive the unthinkable. By Sarah Werthan Buttenwieser
I needed a kitchen coated in berry smoothie to finally understand what I couldn’t then. By Nicole Gulotta
When Steve died, I found it hard to imagine ever finding love again. By Sarah Kilch Gaffney
It occurred to me that I would have to live with this lifeless body—my baby—inside me for the next four days. By Sarah Gundle
In death as in life, she would be surrounded by nature’s bounty. By Megan Hanlon
Food was a big part of my grief process. I was 25 when my mom died. By Natalie Serianni
They call it a “Vanishing Twin.” Two fertilized eggs eventually diminish to one. By Shannon Frost Greenstein
During my treatment, and in the months after, my daughters watched me closely. By Jessica Wahlstrom
I order turkey, I plan to bake pies. The tears make my head pound but they will not fall. By Brianne DeRosa
One of the rules in group therapy is no secrets. The members become your support system, and everyone can talk about anything they want, without limitations.
While life had taken people from her, Alex was dependable, he showed up every Monday through Friday. By Felicia Scarangello
It has to be a single leaf, floating through the sky by itself. Do you have a mom sign? By Kandace Chapple
No matter how many times I failed, there wasn’t a month that went by that Hope didn’t convince me I was pregnant. By Amy Gallo Ryan
We pull ornaments from boxes labeled in my mother’s loopy cursive, giving our tree the same homespun look hers always had. By Mary Janevic
I ignored her recipe for many years as a way to avoid the loss. By Marcia Kester Doyle
After bursting into tears, you text your brother-in-law: “Sorry, this is awkward, but make sure she doesn’t use a tampon for the bleeding.” By Lorren Lemmons
“Birth mom” does not make me feel like a baby machine without feelings, but it does clarify my role in her life. By Adrian Collins
How exactly could I break this news to a kid who already went to bed every night scared of death to the point of tears? By Tanya Mozias Slavin
Hearing “nonviable” is heartbreaking. Having to ignore that in front of 32 smiling second graders is even harder. By Caitlin Cherry
They are part of my life’s topography. Tiny specks on my map of choices, loves and losses, hurts and heartbreak. By Jordan Namerow
Losing my mother, especially at a young age, was like losing my compass. By Gina Luongo
My mom took off her scarf and revealed her bald head. We all braced ourselves, but the woman at the shop didn’t flinch. By Kandace Chapple
On carrying grief forward, not getting over it. A Motherwell interview with Nora McInerny.
So much of who we are has to do with how we think about our own parents and our own childhood.