Yesterday, my son—who also serves as my office manager—answered a phone call from a grandmother whose young grandson had recently died and she needed support in her grief. One of the things I admire most about him is his ability to connect with people. From the very first conversation, he has a remarkable gift for helping callers feel heard, understood, and safe enough to take the next step. Normally calls don’t impact him. But this call stayed with him. Later, he told me the

Anticipatory grief is when we grieve long before goodbye.

Not all grief begins with tragedy. Sometimes grief arrives wrapped in celebration. A child leaves for college. You retire after a lifetime of work. You accept a new job you’ve worked hard to earn. You get married. You move into your dream home. You welcome a new baby. These are joyful milestones. They are also endings. Retirement means saying goodbye to a career that shaped your identity. Your child leaving for college is exciting… but it also marks the end of an era. The li