I am the indoctrinated child of two lapsed Irish Catholics. Which is to say: I am not religious.

I believe in the importance of individuality, but in the midst of grief I also find myself wanting connection - wanting to be reminded that the sadness I feel is not just mine but ours.

'Hamlet' is the best description of grief I've read because it dramatizes grief rather than merely describing it.

One of the things about grief is that it can bring a deeper perspective into your life; in the end, it has, for me, though it's also brought sorrow.

Many grievers experience intense yearning or longing after a death - more than they experience, say, denial.

I live to collect information, and I am also a perfectionist.

If the condition of grief is nearly universal, its transactions are exquisitely personal.