A normal day, a day in which she didn’t weep, in which she wasn’t felled by rage or sorrow, was like a betrayal of what had happened to him.

But they came, the normal days, more and more of them, and by degrees they stole her grief from her—her last connection to John, she felt then.

And here she is now, six months after John’s death, having lived through just such a day…

Sometimes I am intentional in my reading about loss and grief.  Other times, I am surprised.

This quote was a surprise.  This book was a surprise.  It is  a work of fiction, Lost in the Forest by Sue Miller.  I finished it on September 11 this year.  Like her other books, it feels real.   Miller’s writing is crafted and flowing; she is a gift.

Reading is one more way I can practice leaning into loss—especially when I am surprised by its presence.

Blessings.