Who is this woman staring back at me?   Lost and alone,        yet connected to a being   Battered and bruised        from a chance she once took   To love a stranger        from a friend she mistook   She is strong but broken –   Misplaced ...

Sometimes, I pretend. I pretend to be okay. It feels like it’s easier for everyone else when I do. Grief is awkward and upsetting and ugly, so I understand why it makes people uncomfortable. I really do. So, when you ask if I’m okay, I’d rather lie because I want to spare your feelings. It’s ...