For those unaware, my grandfather passed on Monday. While his death is not unexpected, grief is has a way of being so.
I lived on the same street as my grandparents for the first almost 20 years of my life. They were huge fixtures in my growing up. And now, as a grown up, I have to learn to live without those anchors. And no matter how prepared one thinks they are, they probably are not.
Because of my work engagements, flight schedules, and the snow forecasted for Pennsylvania on Friday, I will be unable to make the funeral. This is its own grief- knowing that my own life keeps me from having the family connections and closure I would like. And yet, this is also part of being an adult, learning to navigate grief alone.