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 Futures stalled for years, because I could not decide on the right “voice” for it. I resisted making the book all about me, because I wanted it to be a more general resource for young adult orphans. Yet, not being a professional grief counselor, I felt I was ill-equipped to write that kind of self-help guide.

Eventually I just sat down and started writing my story, without worrying about where it was going or what it might turn out to be like. That, in the end, was the right decision. While it was in many ways a self-serving project, a form of purging for me about my life during those years, it has nonetheless proven to be a great resource for  readers. People have written to tell me how much it meant to them to find someone else who had gone through what they were experiencing, and how my book connected with them emotionally. That means more to me than anything else.

So, I’m trying to let go of expectations in regards to “The Empty Bowl.” I want it to be a touchstone for atheist mourners. I want it to play the role that C.S. Lewis’s “A Grief Observed” plays for Christian grievers, even if I know that I’m no where near as talented and smart as Lewis was.

It could be a collection of essays on topics, or a straightforward recap of my own experiences…I don’t know. It bothers me that I don’t know, but I need to trust in my abilities to create the right book. Part of me wonders if atheists need something like this, but then, I did and so I figure someone else might. As with the Skeptic’s Inspirational, I’m jumping in and making it happen, simply because I feel it should be done.

I think I’ll probably be posting bits and pieces of “The Empty Bowl” as it comes along. Please, feel free to give me feedback!