"All change is loss." —Harry Levinson

Change. Loss. Uncertainty.

We resist these facts of life. Despite a lifetime of living with them, something within us never stops insisting on stability. We prefer firm ground beneath our feet rather than acknowledging that everything is always in transition.

But what if we could cultivate ways of meeting change, loss, and uncertainty with greater openness?

What difference might that make in how we move through our lives?

In this four-part series, we'll use writing as a tool for reflecting on the everyday ways loss is woven into our lives—whether through changing seasons, shifting relationships, unexpected endings, or this very moment passing. By attending to ongoing change and loss—and to the grief that accompany them—we widen (paradoxically) our capacity to notice what else is present.

 We'll write in response to simple prompts, going inward first to discover more about our unique experiences. Within a safe, supportive space, we’ll find the inspiration and essential connection of community.

The potential gifts of this practice: greater presence, aliveness, and awe.

No writing experience is needed or expected. Our purpose is not to create art but to use writing as a practical tool for inner exploration and connection. All that's needed is curiosity, an open heart, and a willingness to follow where the moving pen leads.

This circle is for anyone who…

…wants to meet life with an open heart.
…has experienced or is experiencing loss of any kind (no loss is too small or too big).
…is curious about writing as a path of reflection, discovery, and healing.
…wants to explore the surprising relationship between loss and awe.

“Whatever fears I might have carried into Nancy’s circle, her warmth and wisdom dissolved them early on. The prompts and teachings led me to discoveries about how I want to live. With grace, Nancy leads the way by making the uncomfortable comfortable.”
—Marilyn Weisenberg, Portland, OR

ABOUT NANCY LINNON

Nancy has been teaching writing and facilitating groups for almost thirty years. She has published in several literary journals and magazines and began her career as a journalist for U.S. News & World Report. She holds a master’s from Brown University and an MFA from Antioch University.

She began her studies to be an end-of-life doula—someone who accompanies a person on their journey with death—in Ireland. She is certified by the International Association of End-of-Life Doulas (INELDA).

Many people have remarked that her work as an end-of-life doula is a departure from teaching writing, but she sees an organic throughline.

Death is a part of life waiting to be known—as are the multitude of stories within us.