I have tried to teach my son, just as Big Russ taught me, that as much as we wish it were otherwise, grief and loss are central to our lives, and when somebody near us loses a loved one, we have a duty to show up, to be there to help them remember; to offer […]

After Jimmy and my mom died, I went looking for a way to keep them close to me. Something that would heal and bring a feeling of peace. After some searching, I found SoulBursts — gorgeous, unique glass memorial pieces, created by artist Michelle Kaptur in 1994 to offer people a way to celebrate the life of someone special. “A way to hold a loved one in your hand.”

You do your best to reach out tenderly to touch and elevate as many people as you can reach. You bring your naked love and defiant courage and salty grace to bear as much as you can, with all the attentiveness and humor you can muster; this is, after all, a miracle in which we […]

When Molly and Jimmy were little, they played a game they called “Hot Lava”. The rules were simple — the family room floor was covered in hot lava, and they couldn’t step on it (for obvious reasons). Because of the hot lava, Molly and Jimmy “had” to climb on the back of the couch, stand on the coffee table and leap from the couch to the fireplace. Otherwise, “we could burn up, Mom!”

In the days and weeks after Jimmy died, I could barely manage to leave the house. My husband, Dan, and I spent long hours walking our dog, Buster, on the horse trails near our house, often not saying a word…