I asked myself if I believed that suddenly becoming a widow with a twelve-and-a-half year old daughter, going through hell, coming out the other side of it upright, and subsequently remarrying was a story in itself. It was. Then I had to ask myself the really tough questions.

Recently a 97-year-old New York man left his $40 million fortune to....no one. People need to encourage their friends and family to start sharing their wishes and their wants...to make it an acceptable discussion topic.

Last August I was again reminded about the impermanence of things. Of life, of ideas, of the present. As the two year anniversary of my father's passing approaches, I find myself reminiscing about him to be sure, but also about my grandmother, his mum, and thinking about her passing this past summer.

I am a widow. Friendships, I learned, are not immune to grief. Despite what you may think, some friends will leave you when you need them the most. Perhaps they don't know what to say or how to act. After speaking to people in similar situations, I now realize that in many cases, friendship and grief do not mix.