Last night I saw Sara Bareilles's Good Grief Tour in Chicago. It was a special night of leaning into an emotional space many people avoid but all of us know well. As a grief researcher, and a songwriter who made my own grief album, I love seeing when loss, and the ways grief changes us, become a normal part of the conversation. Personally, it was a night I won't forget: tears on my face, sounds of sniffles all around me, and the clear sense that I wasn't alone. The grief educator in me also...

Spoiler warning ahead Hamnet was a major presence this film awards season, with Jessie Buckley winning the 2026 Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare. After watching it, not only did I find myself with tears streaming down my face, I found myself thinking deeply about grief and how powerfully the story reflects the Transcending Model of Grief and Loss (TMGL). What stood out to me most is that Hamnet does not portray grief as neat, linear, or easily resolved. It shows...

Grief is a deeply personal and evolving journey, one that often begins in uncharted territory and continues to shift across time, contexts, and life stages. When loss enters our lives, it can unsettle our sense of identity, safety, and meaning, leaving us feeling disoriented or adrift. Rather than something to resolve or move past, grief is an experience we learn to navigate and carry with us in new ways. Within the Transcending Model of Grief and Loss, healing is not defined by closure, but...