The other day I wrote about someone I had started following on Twitter. Fernanda Santos also wrote a beautiful piece for the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/01/opinion/sunday/death-husband-grief.html. It's about so much more than grief - definitely recommend it.
Sidebar - This story made me think of my grandmother and my mom and how they grieved immediately following the death of my grandfather twenty years ago. The day after he died, my grandmother took grandpa's hairbrush and cleaned it out, removing any leftover hair strands that may have been caught in the bristles. My mom was in awe of her mom's strength, stating that she wouldn't have been able to part so quickly with the last physical evidence of her dad. I was in University at this time of grandpa's death, but both these reactions have stayed with me. I too think of my grandmother's reaction as strength, but also wonder if that is the right word/sentiment.
In my workplace, there was someone who (somewhat unexpectedly) died last year. While his widow has come in to remove items from the office, the space remains unused, and his name remains on the door...
At what point is it the right time to give away clothes, remove hair strands from a brush, use an office space for another purpose? Is a professional timeline expected to be different than a personal one?
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