"There are no tricks," I replied, softening my tone again. "Not really. All you can do is push through, one day at a time."

"Oh," Rachel said, clearly disheartened.

Despite myself, I felt a wave of sympathy towards her. Her teenage boyfriend being a cheater was nothing compared to my wife's death, but it was likely the most traumatic relationship experience she'd had in her young life. It would be cruel to discount her pain.

"But you can make it easier. Keep talking with your friends. Let them cheer you up. Enjoy yourself. Get back into a hobby. Think of the things you can do now that you couldn't when...