The Broken Pack™: Wild Grief

A weekly newsletter delivering sibling loss specific grief resources, support and validation, coping strategies, sibling loss stories, news from The Broken Pack, and much more- including exclusive content and opportunities for subscribers. Hello, Reader! You are receiving this issue of Wild Grief as you indicated interest in hearing from The Broken Pack when you completed a form on our website on [DATEFORMCOMPLETED GOES HERE]. I realize for some of you that may have been a while ago. While...

February 22, 2025 Hello, Reader! I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened. ~Obi-Wan Kenobi Sibling Loss is a Perpetual Great Disturbance It's been quite some time since I sent this newsletter, posted on Instagram, or made the podcast with any regularity. In fact, you may have forgotten you even subscribed to this newsletter or may be new here. So, let me take some time to...

October 1, 2024 Hello, Reader! I've never been the same since my brother died. There's a melancholy in me that never goes away. I'm 50% happy and 50% sad at any given moment.~Billy Bob Thornton A Gentle Return I know it's been a while since we've connected through this newsletter, and I want to thank you for your patience and understanding. The past few months have been unexpectedly overwhelming. Amidst the whirlwind, I've found it difficult to maintain the weekly writing and numerous other...

June 16, 2024 Hi, Reader! Father's Day is here in the US and other places. It's a time for honoring dads, but it can also stir up a complex mix of emotions for those of us who have lost a sibling. It's a day that can magnify both joy and sorrow, bringing to light the changes in our family dynamics and the fears that accompany those changes. A Unique Experience for Each of Us Grief isn't one-size-fits-all, and neither is the experience of Father's Day. It might bring up cherished memories of...

June 08, 2024 Hello, Reader! Being the younger child, I had the smaller of the two bedrooms growing up. My single window, seemingly miles above the floor, remained a tantalizing mystery until I was a teen. Even then, my 5-foot frame required a boost from furniture to glimpse the world beyond. But I was strangely grateful for that one window, especially during thunderstorms. As a child, I was terrified of lightning. Without air conditioning, we often slept with windows open, and I was...

May 18, 2024 Hello, Reader! I'm often asked about how long it's normal to grieve. Patients in my office or grieving siblings like you with whom I interact through The Broken Pack™ ask me if grief will get better over time or when they will "be over grief." My heart breaks each and every time I'm asked this question. Sometimes that person is me! Siblings are supposed to be with us for 80-100% of our lifetimes. Depending on our age at the time of their death and our own longevity we may carry...

May 13, 2024 Hello, Reader! My apologies. The last email stated the early bird pricing as lower than this special. Please note the pricing below is now correct. Our regular newsletter content will be out later this week, but I wanted to reach out today with something a little different. I know this is a bit different from my usual emails, but next Monday, May 20th, would have been my brother Tony's birthday and is my parent's wedding anniversary. To honor Tony's memory, I wanted to share a...

May 10, 2024 Hello, Reader! These past few weeks have been incredibly busy for me, which has meant a multitude of things, including a delay in sending this newsletter. It's a Friday night. In two days, many parts of the world will honor mothers on Mother's Day. I am delighted to see the growing awareness of how difficult this day can be for many mothers and children, whether they are grieving a dead, living or estranged mom, grandmother, child, pregnancy loss, or infertility. I truly...

April 26, 2024 Hello, Reader! No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man. ~ Heraclitus I have a certain friend who has become famous among his friends and internet acquaintances for posting memes that are a mockery of misheard lyrics sung by Justin Timberlake warning us that "It's Gonna Be May." This friend begins posting these sometime in April. (If you don't know what this weird pop culture behavior is referencing, there is more...