My writing life started in earnest after my husband died. I learned early in my grief that purging my pain onto the page was going to be my healing medicine.

What music do you listen to? Has your taste in music changed as you have moved through your grief? How do you know you are in a grounded or aligned energy?

Sky. So much sky has come in— big and expansive and hopeful. And light. So much light. A sense of freedom has bloomed in the open space where those graceful pencil trees swayed and kept me company for twenty years.

I recently taught myself how to crochet. I have only mastered a single stitch and I am only comfortable crocheting squares.

I have been in my current home for more than twenty years. The closets, cabinets and bookshelves all overflow with the remnants of various eras of our family’s life.

Wow, I would be lost without my dear ones in my community! Those clutch conversations that bridge me from despair to hope have made all the difference this week.

What form of activism are you doing? And what’s bringing you joy this week?

What is helping me get through this week… My meditation cushion. Well, not the cushion so much as the intentional practice of meditation.

This week I am noticing the holiday lights. They are everywhere. As I take in the twinkling lights, I wonder how you are doing as you move through your days.

The holidays can be especially difficult for us grievers. The sounds of holiday music, the decorations, the stores full of treats and extra bustle—it all adds pressure to be jolly when we may be feeling anything but.

What does healing really look like? It’s not about fewer tears.

Grief is messy. It’s untidy, raw, and often refuses to fit neatly into the structured boxes society tries to impose.

As the leaves turn and the air grows crisp, I find myself reflecting on the beauty of this season.

While the warmth of summer has its charm, there's something special about this season. The cool breeze and changing leaves remind us that transition is part of life.

The daphne plant at the end of my front step exploded into bloom this week. Her blossoms and perfume brought a welcome surprise in an otherwise gray and gloomy mid-winter week.

This one is especially for the Young Widows. How are you doing through this week of red envelopes, roses and chocolates?