in grief hope is that one day we can pick up the pieces and feel joy again

Tools for finding hope along the journey: Understanding hope


Life often seems hopeless when someone we love has died. Our life lies shattered at our feet and pain is all we can feel as we wonder what to do with the shards. Hope is not that our lives will be free from the pain and sorrow of death. Hope is that one day we can pick up those pieces put them together and feel joy again, knowing that the cracks can never be completely erased.

Artwork by Glen Lord
About the Artist

Tanya Lord was a special education teacher when Noah died. After his death she read The Institute of Medicine’s report To Err Is Human and realized that the errors responsible for her son’s death were not unique. This created a desire and determination to better understand and work towards improving health care. Currently she has completed a master’s degree in public health and a PhD in clinical and population health research and is completing a post-doctoral fellowship. Lord shares her personal and professional experiences in presentations and workshops for medical staff and students focusing on the importance of effective communication with patients before and after an error. She also is a co-founder of The Grief Toolbox (www.thegrieftoolbox.com), which offers tools to help those along the grief journey. Lord may be contacted at [email protected]