For some time now, I have been interested in how people around the world express empathy and offer  condolences around times of difficulty and death. What do people say to each other in different cultures when they want to offer support? What do they do? How do they grieve together? I believe that learning about how others reach out with empathy can inform our own expressions of support. I didn't start out thinking about a blog. To be perfectly honest, my dream for a while has been to write a book about this topic, and then spend the better part of my time pitching the idea to countless publishing companies. The problem is, I haven't done any research yet. Another real problem is that I don't know if anybody else is interested in this! I'm hoping this blog will help me with both problems: First, it will give me a place to note and share my research. The plan is to write short posts about what I'm learning as I study other cultures. Second, it will help me ass