It was 2023 when I received a frantic message from a friend and colleague on Messenger, informing me that one of my staff’s partner had passed away in an accident. My heart sank immediately. I searched for words to console her, wondering what I could possibly say to make her feel even a little better. I was in the middle of a meeting, but I felt restless and uneasy because I could relate to her pain. A rush of emotions overwhelmed me, memories of losing my own first rainbow, years ago. It was as if all those feelings were flooding back, fresh and raw again. I realized how difficult it is to console someone who has lost their other half, it is a pain that words alone cannot heal. Later that evening, I gathered all my courage, even though my hands were shaking, and made the call to her. I remember sitting in the smoking area of a closed Japanese-themed bar next to the hotel, trying to steady my voice. I told her, through my own shaky words, that it is the burden of the survivor to carry ...