Patience & Fortitude

Living as the afterlife

As a non-deist and skeptic, I view “after life” as the yawning, endless time that is experienced by those of us surviving the loss of a loved one: We are living after the life of someone else has ended. It’s an important role for us. We are all the...

What ‘Sacred’ Means

I was interested in reactions to this NPR ‘Code Switch’ story, “What Part of Sacred Don’t You Understand?” Normally I don’t read comments sections because therein lies madness, but in this case I made an exception. The topic is a...

Poppa’s Boots

They don’t fit me, they are too big. Which, I guess, a father’s shoes should always be: too big to fill. They are military boots, worn in and proud, and they get shuffled from corner to corner of my house because I can’t wear them, and I can’t...

Writing recommences on ‘The Empty Bowl’

A long time ago, I decided to write a book about atheism and grief. I was going to call it “The Empty Bowl”, a riff on my own Buddhist studies as well as a vivid image of grief itself. In a not very unusual occurrence, I stalled after that. Grieving...

Secular traditions are powerful

I was linked to a great article via What’s Your Grief? blog: The Day the Man Came to Burning Man (link to LA Weekly). It’s a tear jerker, if inspiring as well. I was surprised because I have more than few friends who go to Burning Man every year and no one...

Death and Social Media

I often question the value of this blog. After all, while grief is a permanent state its intensity varies over time and circumstances. I’m not sure, either, what I have to offer is very much by way of comfort. I don’t coat grief with a film of sentiment,...