When I am homebound, my social skills can wane, and my opportunities grow limited. I miss celebrating victories, commiserating about woes, and building a cohesive story with those I love. In the past, I have tried these easy, low-cost ways to make social support knots.

If I could not participate in grief’s meaning making, I would feel impaired in a desolate terrain. However, grief can send me into a perilous Wonderland, waiting to wake from Alice’s non-adventure. These are the major signs of distress I look for while grieving.

Sometimes, loss or illness can leave you attending to only basic needs. Concerns around safety—both physical and emotional—overshadow established routines, assignments, and other social involvements. Learn how to use digital stickers and planners to cope and make meaning during the grief process.

My grandma once said, "First years don't always follow a traditional calendar year, Honey.” I like to remember her words when the rhythm of life inaugurates a new era. A tender loss, triumphant start, or unexpected move—the seasons of life turn, turn, turn.