I was reminded of grief’s turbulent and unique makeup this last week after my creative director shared an account of a close friend losing his semi-estranged father. This close friend’s parents had split at a young age, leaving him packing a suitcase to spend every summer with a father that— to the best of his comprehension— had left his childhood uncertain and his family splintered. As he grew into adulthood, the close friend learned to forge a relationship of sorts with his father, but of course, there were years and bonding opportunities left unaccounted for and a certain degree of bitterness harbored. This story left me pondering the question: Could complicated grief get any more complicated?

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