Short Stories About Grief, Death, and Losing Someone You Love in Thirteen Emotions
My book Thirteen Emotions is chock-full of short stories about grief, death, and losing someone you love. They’re heavy and at times, depressing. Not to mention, sure to evoke feelings you may have buried deep under the surface. Well, it’s time to let those feelings go. After all, letting your feelings out is an essential part of emotional health, providing a release that can be both cathartic and liberating. In this day and age, who can say no to that? Not me.
When we suppress our feelings, they can build up like pressure in a shaken bottle of ice-cold champagne, ready to burst. By expressing ourselves—whether through writing, talking, or other creative outlets—we create space for clarity. And understanding. Embracing vulnerability helps us connect with others. We can foster deeper relationships and authentic communication. In sharing our emotions, we not only lighten our own burdens but also encourage those around us to do the same, forging a fabulous runway toward healing and self-acceptance.
Pick up a copy of Thirteen Emotions, a box of tissues, and a comforting drink of choice. (For me it would be a coffee or glass of Avaline wine.) It’s time to get emotional.
Short Stories About Grief, Death, and Losing Someone You Love
The Final Goodbye
Losing a loved one to cancer is never easy. Whether it’s been a long battle or something that happens in the blink of an eye. It’s an experience that reshapes the very fabric of your existence, leaving an ache that lingers long after they’re gone. Did you know: going through grief literally changes your brain?
The gradual decline of the person you love, marked by an array of emotions from hope to despair, creates a haunting rhythm that echoes in the quiet moments of your everyday life. Memories become bittersweet reminders of laughter and dreams, while the once vibrant presence becomes a phantom in every corner of your world. As you navigate through the phases of grief, the realization dawns that their absence transforms not just your heart but the very essence of your identity, as you are left to carry on with pieces of them forever etched in your soul.
In The Final Goodbye, the narrator finds herself clinging to her father’s side as he’s admitted to the hospital. They’ve just eaten dinner, cake is ready on the counter, and things seem—or seemed—fine. However, from one moment to the next she’s forced to face feelings she had been hiding from. Unfortunately, the moment she’s dreaded for six awful months has arrived. She’s left with no choice but to deal with her emotions in the aftermath of grief.
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Read a snippet of The Final Goodbye here. Also, I recently did a reading of The Final Goodbye at an art gallery in Los Angeles. Check out that post here.
You Were Ours
This short story about losing a loved one explores the conflicting feelings some people have when a parent who wasn’t always the kind of parent they needed passes away. Losing a toxic parent can bring forth a complex whirlwind of emotions, often accompanied by a sense of relief mixed with sorrow. It feels wrong feel relief, but it’s undeniable.
However, the absence of their constant negativity creates space for healing and self-discovery. Their passing brings the freedom to forge your own identity without the burden of their disapproval. As memories of hurtful words and manipulative behaviours fade, there emerges a bittersweet recognition that sometimes, letting go is the first step toward embracing a brighter, more authentic future. The journey becomes one of reclaiming power and redefining what family means, transforming past pain into strength and resilience.
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After all, not everything about that parent was toxic. There are always good moments, too. Which can actually make the whole grief process even more confusing. Shared lunches, movie dates, laughter over wine and moules-frites. The good moments are powerful. But so are the bad ones. Grieving a toxic parent is its own process.
You Were Ours is available in my short story collection, Thirteen Emotions.
Every Last Thing
Miscarriage, abortion, pregnancy complications. Every Last Thing catches a range of emotions about losing someone. In particular, someone you haven’t met yet but have dreamed about for years: a baby. It’s not an easy read by any means. Hope and longing are woven throughout, but eventually the narrator realizes that she will continue to wait for her dream. Her rainbow.
The aftermath of a miscarriage often plunges one into a profound silence. Words feel inadequate and the world resumes as usual, indifferent to the heavy heart cradling loss. Empty nurseries and baby clothes stand as haunting reminders. And the echoes of dreams never realized linger like shadows, intertwining grief with a disorienting sense of isolation. Loved ones may extend their sympathy, yet the deep, unspoken sorrow can isolate more than it comforts, leaving the would-be mother in a quiet turmoil of emotions: sadness, anger, and an unsettling emptiness.
The final short story, Every Last Thing, can be found in Thirteen Emotions.
Ultimately, reading short stories about grief and loss immerses you in a tapestry of human emotions, encapsulating the profound complexities of mourning within concise narratives. Each story, much like a poignant snapshot, captures the intimate moments of sorrow, from the quiet whisper of a memory to the crushing weight of absence.
These narratives often reveal the characters’ vulnerabilities, allowing readers to connect deeply with their own experiences and reflections. The brevity of short stories provides a unique lens through which to explore the stages of grief, encouraging contemplation and empathy. In just a few pages, they can evoke catharsis, reminding us of the intricate dance between love and loss that defines the human experience.
Have you already read Thirteen Emotions? How did you like it? Leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever you can and let me know! You can also write to me on Threads.
Read More: 3 Sentences Each to Summarize Every Short Story in Thirteen Emotions
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