Next week, Bastiat’s Window will veer back toward economics, politics, science, ethics, culture, etc.—less of me, and more of the world around us. But today, we offer one more personal account, as promised last week.
My most recent post, 2026 and the Return of Bastiat’s Window, was a mea culpa for this newsletter’s long absences since my wife died in June—and a promise to return in 2026 to frequent postings. That post noted that my absence resulted not from some paralytic sadness, but rather from my relentless building of a new life. My outlook has been upbeat and my activities mostly joyful. In private correspondence, some readers asked me to explain, in part to offer ideas on how they might successfully wend their way through grief and loss. This post does so.
In sum, the activities that crowded out my writing in recent months included: (1) Making ritual of mundane activities, (2) Learning from silence, (3) Turning grief into flourishing, (4) Entertaining and being entertained, (5) Reconnecting with old friends and family, (6) Making every meal a feast, and (7) Decluttering. My particular activities won’t work for everyone, but it would please me greatly if some readers find their own consolation in what I write here.
As I’ve told various grieving souls in recent months, sadness requires no effort, whereas happiness demands work, diligence, and discipline. This thought underlies all my actions over the past seven months. Here are some ways I have striven to make lemonade out of a lemon of a year.
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