ABSTRACT
As you grow older, your losses—of dear friends, close family members, devoted partners or spouses—are likely to occur with greater frequency, one after another. This chapter deals with the broad themes that influence how we respond, along with our individual vulnerabilities. The essential but demanding work of grieving takes many forms and has no timetable. It is a long, slow process that eventually transforms the reality of the people (or places, or things) we have lost into memories we cherish. Grieving may lead to unexpected discoveries about ourselves and our attachments.
