Thank you, Sheryl

In my line of work, I have often discouraged from using the word "grief", like it's a dirty word or something. So needless to say, I am elated to see it on the cover of Time magazine!

Grief is a natural reaction to loss or change, simple as that.

Sheryl Sandberg is the COO of Facebook, and in May 2015 her husband died suddenly while working out on vacation. I've followed her journey on life after this loss and at every turn, I continue to be impressed with her effort in using this tough life event to help others. Recently, she was the catalyst to change Facebook's bereavement policy; now, employees get 20 days off after experiencing the death of a loved one. This is a significant statement of compassion and empathy! Sadly, the standard time off for most US businesses is only 3-5 days.

Sheryl has been a exemplary model of transparency and authenticity, as a "vulnerable leader" she openly shares her story in order to bring light to this delicate situation. We all will experience grief in our lives at some point, and I believe it's our social responsibility to share our experiences to help one another along the way. In her first open letter after losing her husband, shared via Facebook of course, Sheryl said we must "kick the s--- out of option B!" And for obvious reasons, those words resonate with me deeply. While I'd normally offer a snippet from the article here, but in this case that'd be an injustice. Trust me, every word is worth reading.

Click here to read the full article.