Riding the rollercoaster of grief

Tools for finding hope along the journey: Riding the rollercoaster


Our emotions are like a rollercoaster. One minute we are laughing and having fun and the next we are overcome with pain and tears. There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to the emotions of grief. We are going to feel what we feel so when the tears come let them flow and when the laughter comes enjoy it. The longer we are on this ride the more things will start leveling out, but there will always be twists and turns.

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]