Even the most commonplace items can become precious relics when someone is grieving. The dark gray wool jacket that hung on the coat rack represented Melissa’s late husband Nathan’s silhouette and was more than just clothing. For her two children, Micah and Nova, it was a physical connection to a father who had abandoned them too soon, and its thick fabric still evoked the recollection of his wide shoulders. That garment had been a silent witness to their battle to redefine “peace” in the wake of loss for the six years they had resided in the little apartment just above a busy local grocery shop.
