I was not raised with religion, and I had no faith before my mother died. On the other hand, when she died, I did not immediately feel she was "gone." I don't believe she is in something like heaven, but I also feel that we don't understand much about the nature of the universe. So I hold on to that uncertainty, at times.

Writing has always been the primary way I make sense of the world.

The truth is, I need to experience my mother's presence in the world around me and not just in my head.

There are many kinds of loss embedded in a loss - the loss of the person, and the loss of the self you got to be with that person. And the seeming loss of the past, which now feels forever out of reach.

Many researchers say the dominant emotion experienced after loss is yearning or searching. And while you might feel more anger early on, it's accompanied by a whole host of other feelings.

Time doesn’t obey our commands. You cannot make it holy just because it is disappearing.

There is no single way of grieving. But research suggests that there are some broad similarities among grievers.