By the time I was 31, both of my parents had passed away. My dad died of cancer when I was 21 and my mom died in her sleep one night in early September 2009. I had just gotten engaged and we'd just chatted on the phone a couple of nights before and she was gone. I found myself navigating adulthood without parents and I felt untethered and unmoored. Facing a future, even facing getting married and starting a whole new chapter of my life without my mom by my side was terrifying and grief-filled. Adulthood without my mom has been different than the adulthood I envisioned. I was a very late in life baby for my dad, so there weren't as many expectations that he'd still be here as I moved towards middle age (he'd be 103 to my 47!), but I had always pictured my mom nearby as I navigated life, career, marriage, and parenting. The grief of the first years she was gone was immense and loudly present. As I age, the grief is still there, but it changes it weight and shape as I change, too. I'd be happy to talk through parent-loss and all the ripple effects it has on our lives if you're looking for someone who understands.