I didn't go to my mother's funeral. Instead, I sat in our bathroom and, with the window open, smoked hash through a pink ceramic pipe. It isn't my proudest moment — certainly it isn't one I absolved myself of until recently — but in the boarded-up memory bank of my mind, it has maybe been the hardest to suppress. She is being cremated, cooked like the brown shit inside my pipe, but in her absence, my grandmother will create a grave, one lacking a body, and one I'll never visit.
What Not to Say to Someone Who’s Grieving
This is What It's Like to Lose a Parent to Cancer
So often we find ourselves stressing out about saying the right thing to a friend or family member who has experienced the death of a loved one. Instead, focus on keeping it simple and saying it with compassion — hopefully, if you do this, your loved one will see that you care. Obviously this list is not all-inclusive, everyone is different and our sensitivities are not all the same. Your friend may get upset if you tell them the sky is blue. Or you may have a family member whose feathers are never ruffled. You do not know how your friend feels, and even if you did, it is not what they need to hear. No two people are the same.
This is What It's Like to Lose a Parent to Cancer
A man I know lost his father to lung cancer. Another friend lost her mom to a heart disorder. She meant the sound of a heartbeat.
When I find myself getting mysteriously emotional, it's usually around this time of year. This week marks five years since my mom passed away. To say we were "close" is an understatement. So when she lost her unexpected battle with cancer, I was devastated.
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