When someone is grieving, you need only say, “I’m sorry for your loss.” Don’t force a bereft person to parry your reactions, receive your advice, or sate your curiosity. Just sit quietly and listen. On my kitchen counter sits his cast-iron teapot. The delicate, stemless wineglasses he brought over take up space in the cabinet. […]
So many people regard death as the enemy. The problem with that approach is there’s gonna be one winner. And it ain’t you. There’s a special place in hell for people who tell sad stories about dogs dying. More than a special place. I believe there’s a whole separate hell. Here’s Saint Peter greeting Dante […]
So much of what I love today began with her. I still take long, hot baths and occasionally put ketchup on popcorn because that’s what she did, and I want to be just like her. There’s a cute pair of jeans in my closet that I refuse to give away because I paid $200 for […]
How could I both comfort and clarify on a subject that was not only distressing and mysterious, but was such a personal stumbling block for me? This past week, I dug a grave. It was a tiny one—just rat-sized—to bury our family pet. It was, in fact, the second such plot I had to prepare […]
