Another Birthday on Friend Grief

Two years ago today, I started this blog.

It was one week after I attended my first writing conference. I had an idea for a book, had conducted a few interviews, done some serious research, but I wanted to know if anyone else thought I was doing something that would make a good book.

I found out that there were a lot of people who thought I was onto something. And they encouraged me to not wait until the book was finished: start a blog. Now.

So I decided to begin a conversation with you. At that time, if you Googled “grieving the death of a friend”, you’d be directed to more sites dealing with the death of a pet than a human friend. Now, thanks to Friend Grief, that has reversed.

Your support has made this one of the top 20 grief support websites, and I’m grateful. I love your comments – both on this blog and privately – because they prove that this is a type of grief that needs to be discussed.

Even people who have told me they thought my topic was depressing have a story to tell about when a friend died. Some are struggling, some are inspired, but all shared the same desire: to keep their friend’s memory alive.

That book I pitched to agents two years ago is now six small books, all of which will be published this year. The first one will come out this month, so check out the Events page for book signings and readings as well as the Books page for information on ordering your copy (paperback or ebook).

I’ve learned a lot in two years: about writing, publishing and how people grieve their friends. I hope you’ve learned, too:  that your grief for your friend is normal, important and potentially life-changing.

You’ll be meeting some interesting people in the next twelve months whose stories will make you sad, make you laugh, make you think. It’s going to be a fantastic year, and I hope you’ll enjoy the ride.

As Doctor Who (the Tenth Doctor) would say:

“Allons-y!”