Gutsy Grief is a story about losing my father to suicide in 2016 and what I learned about the transformative power of loss to add meaning and purpose to life. After his death, I uncovered a series of journals and letters he left for me dating back to the late 1970s. The discovery offered an opportunity to get to know my dad differently and altered the trajectory of my healing process.

Gutsy Grief is also a practice - an offering to others that I wish I would have had when faced with a traumatic loss. It’s an alternative option for dealing with loss amid popular culture’s invitation to let sucky things suck indefinitely. I’m here to share my experience of reflection, self-discovery, growth, and gratitude with the hope that it will help at least one person make the most of the worst.