I am excited to announce the launch of Shared Grief Journal, a space where I will share other people’s poems and stories about grief. This project was inspired by how essential and healing writing and sharing my work has been for me in my grief journey.  In addition to creating grief writing prompts and offering grief groups where people can connect authentically through the power of writing, I wanted to offer a new way for people to share their writing and honor their loved ones. A way for people to witness the grief of others and see their own reflected in it.

I wrote a poem about witnessing someone else’s grief while traveling on one of our Riley Day trips. Every year our family goes somewhere new to celebrate and honor my son’s life on the anniversary of his death, March 6^th. This moment of grief I saw made me realize how crucial it is to not look away from the grief of others. We are one and the same. If we look away from the grief of others, we are looking away from our own.  

On the Anniversary of Your Son’s Death

Plan a trip to Hawaii. 
Buy non-refundable tickets. 
Toss whatever into your suitcase.

Walk past the photo of him 
in your arms, and the wooden sailboat 
he sanded smooth in kindergarten.

Before you board the plane, drink a margarita.
Order the cheap red wine split in-flight.
Eat the bag of chocolate chip cookies.

Savor the hour-gate-waiting delay at Kahului.
Sway with the palms your window frames.
Ignore the feeling you’ve forgotten something.

When the woman next to you
answers an urgent call with, No!
I just saw him this morning…he was fine,

listen to her sob.
Don’t avert your eyes when she looks at you.
Breathe the frozen air like an alpine climber.