When family members died, I struggled to share the news with my kids. Looking at photos helped all of us.

• My grandparents were very present in my life and helped raise me. • When they died, the hardest part was telling my kids about it. • I leaned into memories to help my kids process their loss.

I grew up with my grandparents — they raised my brother and me when our parents couldn't.

My grandfather was plagued with health issues throughout his life, almost dying from hydrocephalus when he was a kid. He had a dent in his head and a hole in his finger. These became party favorites at every family event. Gramps would let all the kids feel both the dent and the hole. My grandmother on the other hand was the picture of health, until her 70s when she was diagnosed with late-stage ovarian cancer. It came as a complete shock when she shared the news with me.

For years, my grandparents battle