Modern Loss

Modern LossToday I’m honored and humbled to have a piece up on Modern Loss. Created at the end of 2013 by the talented journalists Gabi Birkner and Rebecca Soeffer, Modern Loss earned a great deal of press from the get-go from the New York Times, NPR, the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, and elsewhere for the innovative way Birkner, Soeffer, columnists, and guest writers openly wrote about dealing with grief.

My piece about my grandma Pauline’s dementia and what I considered a double loss was accepted last year a few months after she died. With all the happenings behind a new site, the publication date for this particular post got pushed back several times. About a month ago I got an email from Gabi, who, feeling terrible about the changes for any 2014 dates, wanted to make sure that January 13th would work. She had no idea that January 13th was the first anniversary of Grandma Pauline’s death.

It feels most appropriate to be sharing this piece today on Grandma Pauline’s yartzheit. I loved her very much, and I’ve missed her for a long time–far longer than the year she’s been gone.

The picture attached to the post is from my 16th birthday. It’s not exactly my favorite picture of myself due to my very round face at the time, but it’s one I adore of my grandmother and it captures a time when her mind was still sharp.

Thanks in advance for reading this piece that is very special to me. May my grandmother’s memory be for a blessing.

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Nina Badzin hosts the podcast Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship. She's been writing about friendship since 2014, co-leads the writing groups at ModernWell in Minneapolis, and reviews 30+ books a year on her website.

Hi, I'm Nina

HI, I’M NINA BADZIN. I’m a writer fascinated by the dynamics of friendship, and I’ve been answering anonymous advice questions on the topic since 2014. I now also answer them on my podcast, Dear Nina! I’m a creative writing instructor at ModernWell in Minneapolis, a freelance writer and editor, and an avid reader who reviews 50 books a year. Welcome to my site! 

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Hi, I'm Nina

DEAR NINA: Conversations About Friendship is a podcast and newsletter about the ups and downs of adult friendship. I’m the host, Nina Badzin, a Minneapolis-based writer who accepted a position as a friendship advice columnist in 2014 and never stopped. DEAR NINA, the podcast, started in 2021, and has been referenced in The Wall Street JournalThe Washington PostTime Magazine, The GuardianThe Chicago TribuneThe Minneapolis Star Tribune, and elsewhere

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