Topic · The empty chair, being there, and what no one teaches you
Grief, loss and caring for someone
To love someone is to accept, sooner or later, the possibility of losing them —or of watching them suffer without being able to fix it—. These guides go alongside that: grief that has no deadlines, the empty chair, being there for someone who's hurting, and what no one teaches you about caring when someone you love falls ill. They don't come to console you with phrases; they come to make room for you.
- Grief has no deadline: the empty chair No stages to complete, no expiry date. Grief comes in waves, the bond changes shape rather than ends, and staying alive is not betrayal. Read →
- When a child you love is ill When a child you love is gravely ill and you can't cure it. What to do with the helplessness, what to say to him, where to find real help — and how to hold even what can't be said aloud. Read →
- Being there, without being able to fix it Someone you love is suffering and you can't fix it. Why helping isn't fixing, what to say when there's nothing to say, and how not to empty yourself. Read →
- The loneliness you didn't choose Loneliness isn't being alone — it's the gap between the company you have and the one you need. The trap that keeps it alive, and where you start. Read →
If you want to go deeper
Living with the absence. A free email course to accompany grief, without deadlines. See the course →