She asks “How do I prepare for the funeral of my mother? It’s tomorrow and I need advice. I need your advice. You’ve been here.” My heart breaks, though I’m honored she has reached out to me, a woman who lives each day with the absence of my mother. In this moment, I wish I had a wand to wipe away her pain and erase…

She walks into the cold hospital room where my father and I sit discussing his upcoming surgery. She smiles cheerfully as she says, “Hi, My name is Rita.” My dad stares at her as tears are already streaming down my face. Through emotional eyes my father asks, “What did you say your name was?” She smiles and again says “Rita.” As she glances at our…

We just said a prayer through tears, hugged and said another “I love you.” as they wheeled him towards the operating room. Now, I’m in a cold hospital room, waiting. Waiting for my father, my only living parent, to have a procedure on his heart. This probably would have been scary no matter what, but now that my mother is gone it seems so much…

Today I went to the ‘favorites’ section on my phone, found your name and clicked on your number. To my surprise, it rang. I listened to a few rings before I hit ‘end call’. I don’t know why I called. I don’t know what made me press those buttons. It’s been years since you’ve been alive and years since this was your number, though to…