Our Gatherings will Never be the Same

I’m holding a lot this week. Just after the euphoria of attending the TED conference I found out that my honorary brother in law was not going to recover from the serious stroke he had the week before. And then this past weekend, he died with my (honorary) sister and their son by his side. 

This man has been part of my extended family for decades, and the first of that generation in our circle to die.

I'm holding a lot this week. Grief for him. Love for my honorary sister and her son, who are carrying something I can only imagine from the outside. And the awareness that our family gatherings will never quite look the same. There will be an empty chair where his cheerfulness and helpfulness used to be. That chair doesn't disappear. It just stays empty, and everyone knows it.

Death has a way of pulling my attention in two directions at once. Toward the people I cherish who are still here. And toward the people I cherished who are no longer living.

Both feel like invitations.

This weekend reminded me, again, why I do this work. Not because death is something to fear or fix, but because the reality of our mortality is one of the most honest mirrors we have. It shows us what matters. It shows us who matters. And sometimes, it nudges us to stop waiting.

This week and for three Tuesdays, Shawn (Kya) Supers will be facilitating the Willow Workshops® on legacy, life, and connection. The timing of the 5-Minute Legacy Love Letter® workshop on April 28 (2026) feels significant. Because if there's one thing I know after this week, it's that the people in your life deserve to receive what's in your heart while you're still here to give it. And some people choose to write their letter to people who have already died. 

You don't need to be dying. You don't need the perfect moment or the perfect words. You just need five minutes and the willingness to begin.

• Is there someone in your life (dead or living) who is holding a piece of your heart that they don't know about yet? 
• Is there someone who would benefit from having your words of gratitude on paper when you can no longer tell them in person?

If this is resonating with you, I invite you to explore Willow's 5-Minute Legacy Love Letter® tool on the resource page. It's free, it's simple, and it might be one of the most important things you do this week.

Joining a workshop also gives you something you can't get from the tool alone: the experience of being witnessed. Come and see what that opens up.