Lists help us keep our lives on track, especially when we are grieving


Tools for finding hope along the journey: Making Lists


Lists help us keep our lives on track, especially when we are grieving. It is normal to be extra forgetful and “spacey” when our minds are occupied by grief. Sometimes the lists we make can seem empty and meaningless. Not because they don’t help us with the everyday activities that we need to accomplish, but because they won’t help with what we really want. Make the lists anyways…keeping the everyday on track is important.

Artwork by Tanya 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]