Tracy Coley, ABJ, MFA

In 2013 my teenage daughter unexpectedly passed away in her sleep. Bekkah had Down syndrome and minor medical issues, but her death came as a complete shock. My loss was a catastrophic event that created a tidal wave of change through my life, my marriage and everything that I thought I knew about myself. My subsequent divorce compounded the loss of my daughter, on top of the repressed emotions for the recent losses of my father and brother. I was caught in the brambles of incomprehensible grief, unable to navigate the complex feelings that suffocated me. The power of writing and self-reflection allowed me to untangle my messy grief, and I discovered the origin of sorrow that began in my family nearly 80 years ago.

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Since then, I've met other people who've experienced this messy grief, when death comes knocking at an inconvenient hour while we are navigating child custody, caring for another dying relative, or making plans for retirement.

 

My mission is to help other people navigate messy grief through writing and self-reflection.