This post has been stewing in my head for a couple of months now, but I still don’t know how to start it. So, I guess I’ll just jump right in. My Sister-in-Law died back in March. Processing that fact will, I believe, take a long time and coping with Her loss has been a very bitter pill to swallow. She was such a powerful, positive influence in the lives of Her family and friends that I know we all are feeling intense loss and grief right now. The compounding anxiogenic circumstances of the current Pandemic and resulting social distancing have made this time of grieving more surreal and harsh than they might otherwise be. For me, it has been a time of juxtaposed acute pain and joyful growth. When she passed, I was already mired in a brutal depressive episode and so I’ve been able to compare and contrast the pain of severe, clinical depression with he pain of overwhelming loss and grief. I can’t say that I’ve enjoyed the last couple of months, but they have been deeply instructive.