There must be something strangely sacred about salt. It is in our tears and in the sea.Kahlil Gibran

Those of us who’ve suffered one or more devastating losses often describe grief as being like the ocean with pain and longing breaking over us in waves. At times, the sadness is overwhelming, and we feel as though we’re drowning. But over time, we learn to float, to keep our head above water. We begin to recognize when the big waves are coming and become better able to deal with them. Although we never escape the sadness, we learn to navigate the waters of grief and move forward into the life we create in the wake of our loss.

a panoramic photo of Pismo Beach at sunset

During my darkest days, I found that the wisdom and experience of other grievers helped me to re-enter the world. They showed me that life after the death of a beloved was possible, that I could begin to see beauty, find grace and feel hope, even joy. They helped me realize that love was all around me, and all I had to do was lean in.

At Salt Water, our community can help you find your equilibrium and begin to heal after an unbearable loss. As Barbara Kingsolver put it so beautifully in High Tide in Tucson:

What a stroke of luck. What a singular brute feat of outrageous fortune: to be born into citizenship in the animal kingdom. We love and we lose, go back to the start and do it right over again. For every heavy forebrain solemnly cataloguing the facts of a harsh landscape, there’s a rush of intuition behind it crying out: High tide! Time to move out into the glorious debris. Time to take this life for what it is.

We invite you to become part of our community. Share your story, ask a question, make a comment. We’d love to hear from you.

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The word "SUPPORT" is written in Scrabble tiles, sitting on turned over Scrabble tiles

Do Something

Grieving people won’t say anything for two reasons. They don’t know. They really can’t think about it. They’re spending a good amount of time reminding themselves to breathe. Or secondly, we have built this super hero culture of not needing any help.

Margo, Debbie and Jennifer. Margo is on the left wearing a long sleeve red top and white shorts and is kissing Debbie's right cheek. Debbie is in the middle wearing a red Stanford zip up sweatshirt and has her mouth open. Jen is on the right wearing a short sleeve red Stanford t-shirt and tan shorts and she's kissing Debbie's left cheek

Your One Wild And Precious Life

Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
Mary Oliver

A dolphin leaping out of the ocean moving from left to right

Widow

The few words at the top of a page that jabs like a jagged fingernail, despised by those who arrange words into neat columns …

Where We Were Alive Together

Well, then maybe instead of going where he’s dead, you need to go where you were alive together … Go where the memories are. That’s where he’ll be.

The words "Be kind" written in red chalk with the "B", "e" and "d" filled in with blue chalk. All on a black background.

Choosing Kindness

Before you know what kindness really is you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened broth. Naomi Shihab Nye

Blue jay on the grass holding a peanut in its mouth

Still, I Give Thanks

Day fourteen in the radiation waiting room, and the old man sitting next to me says he gives thanks every day because he can still roll over and climb out of bed.

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