Writing
Writing
The Reality of Grief: When Secondary Loss Shows Up as a Gain
This is a hard one to put out there. In my work, I talk often about grief literacy and secondary losses. Recently I realized that one of my own secondary losses has been the sense of familiarity I used to have with my own body. This story is not about weight. It’s...
Open to Hope: The Sounds of Grief
I recently published my first piece as an author for Open to Hope: The Sounds of Grief. Since my mom died, I’ve been cataloguing what I think of as “the sounds of grief.” So far, I’ve documented five. Some are raw and animalistic. Others are quiet, barely audible. One...
Op-ed: Grief Literacy Can Change Lives
What if grief education started before the crisis?What if we grew up learning that grief is part of life—and not a detour from it?What if our schools, sports fields, and community centers were places where grief wasn’t something to fix or fear—but something we knew...
Speaking Grief Blog: You Don’t Need to Be a “Feelings Person” to Offer Meaningful Support to Someone Who Is Grieving
When it comes to grief, we often mistakenly think if we’re not “good with feelings,” we have nothing to offer a grieving person. That is categorically false. Emotional support is an element of grief support, but it’s not the only element. From companionship during a...
Speaking Grief Blog: Grief-Aware Gatherings
The latest in an on-going blog series for Penn State Outreach: Discussing grief and the holidays is tricky. It can contribute to the false narrative that grief follows some sort of predictable path. For some, the winter holiday season can activate grief. For others,...
PTA “Our Children” Blog: Is it a Behavior Problem or is it Grief?
Is it a behavior problem, or is it grief?When kids act out, shut down, or struggle in school, it’s easy to assume it’s defiance, attention-seeking, or a lack of discipline. But sometimes, it’s grief.In this post for the PTA Our Children Blog, I explore how grief in...
Speaking Grief Blog: 5 Myths about Children’s Grief
The latest in an on-going blog series for Penn State Outreach: October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. If you’ve experienced this kind of loss or infertility, we see you. Your grief is valid. If you’ve never experienced this loss, there’s a good chance...
Speaking Grief Blog: Infant Loss, Pregnancy Loss, and Infertility
The latest in an on-going blog series for Penn State Outreach: October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. If you’ve experienced this kind of loss or infertility, we see you. Your grief is valid. If you’ve never experienced this loss, there’s a good chance...
Medium: When Hallmark Got it Right
Check out my latest Medium piece for lessons from the Hallmark Channel (just trust me) about meaningful grief support.
Medium: Digital Care Kit for Grieving
I’ve spent the past several years creating Speaking Grief, a learning resource that works to create a more grief-aware society. As part of the making of this project, I’ve read dozens of books, listened to many hours of podcasts, watched loads of videos, interviewed...