An invitation to be part of my second book

So, folks — my first book is with the publisher as we speak. I haven’t heard anything today, which, as I’ve been told, is actually a good sign. All the little errors have been fixed, and I’ve communicated with the editor about everything I’d like to see inside and outside the book — from colours to fonts to text layout, and whether I prefer hardcover or softcover.

With all of that now in motion, I have turned my attention to my second book.

In a nutshell, it will be about death, loss, mourning, and grieving. I can’t share everything just yet, but I can share one important part with you:

I am collecting grief stories from people all around the world.

How do you grieve?

Do you have a special tradition for remembering a loved one?

Here is my way of remembering my late husband every year:

It started with me no longer celebrating his earthly birthday. Instead, on December 16th, 2018, I began celebrating his Heavenly Birthday. For the first couple of years, my children and I shared that day over video calls. We reminisced, told stories, laughed, and cried as we remembered Rocky.

Around his third Heavenly Birthday, we each began celebrating in our own way.
For me, the day begins with making a (decaf) coffee in Rocky’s thermal French press. Rocky loved music—especially from the 60s—so I asked Alexa to play “60s Gold,” turn up the volume, and sing and dance through the tears and smiles. I make one of our favourite meals: pan-fried potatoes with pickled beets. And I always go to Safeway or 7-Eleven to buy an apple fritter.

This has become my yearly remembrance ritual—my way of honouring the love we shared.

Now I would like to invite YOU—if you feel comfortable—to share your story as well. And with your permission, I would be honoured to include your story in my second book. You may choose to use your real name or a different one to protect your privacy.

“Together, we keep love alive — one story at a time.”