Revisiting My Daughter's Imaginary World on the 7th Anniversary of Her Death

There’s one memory Ana that's still sharp and clear in my mind — her imaginary world. She called it Arkomo.

Ana at around age 9, holding a doll that looks just like her

When my daughter, Ana, was little, she loved tiny things. She collected them like treasure and used them to populate an imaginary world she named Arkomo. I recently found the box that contained what’s left of Arkomo.

Every year, on 3/22 - the anniversary of Ana’s death - I publish an essay about her. This year, I decided to make that essay all about Arkomo. The piece was accepted into HuffPost and they just made it live today. I was going to wait for 3/22 to share this, but who cares about exact dates? It's been seven years since she died. Time is just a construct anyway. Plus, there are lots of photos of Ana in this one and so this is a good excuse to share her face. If you happen to think of Ana next Friday, I hope you'll do something small and mindful - fold a crane, look at the sky, cherish small moments. Also, read my essay:

My 15-Year-Old Daughter Died. I Recently Found A Box Of Hers — And What Was Inside Left Me Shaken.