A grieving mother struggles with how to answer questions about her family following the death of her daughter from alcoholism. In a letter to advice columnist R. Eric Thomas, she expresses the difficulty of navigating conversations about her family, especially when asked how many children she has. Thomas offers the advice of being honest about having three children, even if it leads to uncomfortable discussions about her deceased daughter. He encourages her to be gentle with herself and to not worry about others’ reactions. People can be awkward about death, but being true to oneself is important. Thomas suggests that being authentic in conversations can be healing and may help others confront their feelings about loss as well. Ultimately, it’s a personal decision how to answer questions about family, and being true to oneself is the most important thing in these situations. (200 words)
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