I have trouble with rituals, but it comforts me greatly to talk to the spirits, as it were. The only person I know who died that I really, really miss is my paternal grandma (Pama.) Sometimes I miss her so much my chest hurts. And then it eases, and I feel a presence, and I know she is there and listening and I can talk to her in my heart. Also, I sometimes talk to my friend’s mom who died recently. I can literally hear these people answering. I like to think it’s not all imagination.

I sometimes worry, though, that I am completely unprepared for when someone I really love (read: parents–on both sides) dies. I have so little experience with it.

Labyrinths are amazing, and walking them is a valid spiritual discipline. Using a labyrinth walk as part of a grief or celebration ritual can be very powerful and healing.
Two of my own experiences:
(1) My father died a little over 10 years ago. A few months later I walked a labyrinth for the first time, and I had a vivid dream of Dad waving goodbye to me from the car we had when I was little. Several months after that I was at a weekend labyrinth retreat. On the advice of the facilitator I took some time to journal about the dream, followed by walking the labyrinth. In the center I cried a lot, and left a small object symbolic of my Dad. Before walking I thought I was done with the crying! But after this I was truly able to say goodbye and move on.
(2) As I’ve shared on my own blog, I’m a breast cancer survivor. Throughout treatment I walked a labyrinth every week and journaled before and after each walk. It helped to have a ritual, a container, into which I could place the experience and process my feelings. At the end of treatment a couple close friends joined me for my last “treatment walk.”