Bereavement, Death of a Parent, Open to Hope, Self Care, Special Topics, Your Grief

Father’s Day After Loss: 8 Ways to Cope When the Holiday Hurts

Sunday, June 21, 2026

Father’s Day after loss can feel like a long, loud reminder of everything you no longer have. Whether you’re grieving your dad, your child, your partner, or another father figure, here are 8 compassionate, therapist-tested ways to cope with grief on Father’s Day, honor the man you loved, and find a quiet thread of hope on a tender day.

After Life Connections, Death of a Parent, Open to Hope, Self Care

Communing with the Dead

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

There is a phone booth in the middle of the desert in Joshua Tree. It was installed by Colin Campbell and Gail Lerner in honor of their two children, Ruby and Hart, who died in a 2019 car crash. It lives out there amid the tall cholla cacti and the wind that sweeps circles into the salt and sand. I have been thinking about this telephone lately, of how few spaces we have to offload our grief.   In her book, Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss, Hope Edelman offers a handful of events that she believes have the potential to change […]

Bereavement, Death of a Child, Death of a Parent, Death of a Sibling, Open to Hope, Self Care, Special Topics, Your Grief

Mother’s Day After Loss: 9 Compassionate Ways to Cope with Grief on a Tender Holiday

Sunday, May 10, 2026

Mother’s Day after loss can feel like an emotional minefield. Whether you’re grieving your mother, a child, a sibling, or anyone you love, here are 9 compassionate, therapist-tested ways to cope with grief on Mother’s Day, honor your person, and find a quiet thread of hope on a tender holiday.

Death of a Child, Death of a Parent

Missing Mom On Mother’s Day

I’ll be honest…I’ve been struggling what to say and write today. It’s because today is a day of celebration for so many, yet for so many others, this day comes packed with a punch to the gut and heart. Mother’s Day is about Sunday brunch, flowers, cards and family gatherings. It’s a day that’s filled with the celebration of life, love, happiness, gratitude, hugs and joy. But for some of you…it’s just another day living with a broken heart. There are so many different reasons (way too many for me to list in this blog) why this one day of […]

After Life Connections, Bereavement, Death of a Parent, Open to Hope

The Eternal Bond: Daughters Honor Their Mothers On The Other Side

Saturday, April 4, 2026

Death is the eternal mystery, a mystery that fills our souls with both awe and terror. The consequences of the death of one’s mother is not like any other ordeal in life. Daughters are often faced with resurrecting a new life without a road map, catapulted upon the ruins that remain, while enduring indescribable emotional pain. Based on my experience of my mother’s death, and the shared narratives with other daughters, I have spoken with, this journey is both courageous and terrifying.  You will regain your balance, but you will not be the same person. I have never surrendered my […]

After Life Connections, Bereavement, Death of a Parent

What Does The Research Tell Us About Grief?

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Grief is part of the human experience; however, the grief of daughters whose mothers have died is significantly different than other losses. Research is needed that does not quantify or reduce the suffering women experience to only numerical findings, but includes tools for grief empowerment. According to the National Alliance on Caregiving, over 53 million baby boomers are now caring for their ailing parents, and 61 percent of caregivers are women caring for a female relative, most likely their mothers. Because caregiving is considered a “woman’s job” (i.e., unpaid), women often suffer emotionally and financially from what is referred to […]

After Life Connections, Open to Hope

How To Understand Grief Visions: They Really Are Common

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Grief is part of the human experience; however, the grief of daughters whose mothers have died is particularly significant, especially for older women who were often caretakers during their mother’s end of life.  The components of grief differ widely, and you are the expert on how to navigate this challenging yet sacred journey.  It is important as part of this difficult and often lifelong journey to understand that grief is not limited to ordinary dimensions and that the metaphysical dimension that may often occur after a loved one has passed away may include inner knowing, visions, and dreams.  Often, grievers […]

Open to Hope

Grief And The Trouble With Universal Stages Of Grief

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Death is the eternal mystery, a mystery that fills our souls with both awe and terror. The consequences of the death of one’s mother is not like any other ordeal in life. Daughters are often faced with resurrecting a new life without a road map, catapulted upon the ruins that remain while enduring indescribable emotional pain. Based on my experience of my mother’s death, and the shared narratives with other daughters I have spoken with, this journey is both courageous and terrifying. Grief is often a taboo topic, and many women (and men) in mourning are not only distraught but […]

Death of a Parent, Open to Hope

ANTICIPATE THE ANNIVERSARY YEAR(S)

Monday, February 9, 2026

It happened in New York, April 10th, nineteen years ago. Even my hand balks at the date. I had to push to write it down, just to keep the pen moving on the paper. It used to be a perfectly ordinary day, but now it sticks up on the calendar like a rusty nail.  —Donna Tartt, author of The Goldfinch   There is a year nearly every daughter who has lost her mother describes as being very significant. This is the year when she becomes the age of her mother when she died. This was also true for me.  When I […]

Death of a Parent

Finding Strength and Wisdom after the Loss of a Father

Monday, November 24, 2025

Losing a father is one of the hardest experiences in life. It’s a loss that reshapes you, leaving an emptiness that never truly fades. The pain is deep, and the absence is felt in the quiet moments—the advice left unsaid, the laughter no longer shared, the steady presence that once grounded you.   But in that grief, there is also transformation. The loss teaches us how fleeting life is, reminding us to cherish every moment, to be present, and to live with purpose. It gives us a kind of wisdom that only comes through pain—a deeper understanding of what truly […]