The days following the death of a loved one are very hard and the reminders are all around us, some of them hit us unexpectedly. And there are things that need to be attended to after the funeral. Take your time but know that these things must be done.

When a kid leaves home, whether it's his own family or a group home for youth, the felt grief is palpable. We think of the things left unsaid, the opportunities missed but we need to accept our own shortcomings and get on with our lives. No one is really lost as long as he or she is held in our hearts.

During the past couple of weeks I've had a malaise I couldn't quite identify, an uneasy feeling of being less grounded than usual. Before I realized where it was coming from, I checked with family and friends; they too had been experiencing distress they couldn't explain.

Never to forget those fond memories of life before death dearly beloved. "It is appointed unto man to die once, afterwards the resurrection."