I became a widow in my 20s. It taught me to say 'yes' more and live every day like it might be my last.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
Powerful rear view shot of a mature woman looking out of her bedroom window
The author, not pictured, lost her husband in her 20s.

Justin Paget/Getty Images

My dad and sister died 19 days apart. My other siblings helped me with my grief.

Tech Insider : Business
Siblings sitting on couch
The author (third from the left on the couch) always got along with her siblings.

Courtesy of the author

I didn't take over my family's successful business after my mom died. I often wondered if it was the right choice.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
The author poses with her mother on a mountain vista in 2016.
The author, shown with her mother in 2016, always thought she would take over her mom's day care business. Then her mom got sick, and everything changed.

Courtesy of Alyssa Wiens

I lost a grandparent for the first time at 26. I was surprised by how much it affected me.

Tech Insider : Business
The author with his grandmother when they were young in front of a gift shop.
The author has spent a lot of time with his grandmother over the years.

Courtesy of Adam England

My mom was my best friend, so it made sense for me to quit my stressful job so we could spend the last few months of her life together

Tech Insider : Business, Crypto, Travel
The author and his mother posse on a beach boardwalk.
TK

Courtesy of Christopher Adam.

Hearing stories of her past travels and going on trips with my grandmother taught me how to enjoy life by appreciating the smaller moments

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
On the left: Varisha Tariq's grandmother and mother at the beach. On the right: the author with her grandmother and mother.
The author's grandmother, shown with the author's mother (left image) on the beach in Goa, India, and with the author and her mother (right image) in Dubai.

Courtesy of Varisha Tariq

My sisters, mom, and I go to a new place every year in honor of my late dad's birthday. It's brought us closer together.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The writer, her mom, and her sisters on a Pink Jeep tour in Sedona.
caption TK

Danielle Bauter

When I returned to work after my mother's death, I worried my grief would affect my performance. My coworkers rescued me.

Tech Insider
a woman upset while working at her laptop
The author, not pictured, was grieving her mother at work.

Charday Penn/Getty Images

I tried to stay close to my ex's family after my divorce. But when his sister died, I realized things had changed.

Tech Insider
Margery Berger wearing a blue sweater and smiling at the camera.
Margery Berger realized she wasn't as close to her ex's family anymore after her ex-sister-in-law died.

Courtesy of Margery Berger

My mother and I were still estranged when she died in 2019. I went to a medium to connect with her and it brought me closure.

Tech Insider
Hayley Folk wearing a black dress and black boots standing outside in front of a brick building with the sun behind her.
Hayley Folk booked a reading with a medium to connect with her mother.

Photo credit: Sidney A Morgan

Subscribe to grief