So much of my life is unrecognizable from six months ago. And that’s not even including the fact that I now have short hair and a new tattoo. (Although both are rather tell-tale signs of grief.) When I started consistently swimming laps over the summer, I remember repeatedly thinking, Nothing traumatic has happened to me in a while. I was finally in a stable marriage even if my husband was struggling with his career. My knee was getting better after a horrendous recovery from major surgery. And I hadn’t suffered a painful friendship breakup or significant career mishap in recent memory. I felt lucky and grateful. And then everything changed.
© 2025 Allison Raskin
Substack is the home for great culture