I love you, Dave: COO of Facebook Sheryl Sandberg

Sheryl Sandberg’s husband Dave Goldberg, who was the CEO of SurveyMonkey, died after falling from the treadmill when he and Sheryl were holidaying last month. In a letter that was trending on social media, Sheryl spoke about her loss. 

 

“Today is the end of sheloshim for my beloved husband — the first thirty days. Judaism calls for a period of intense mourning known as shiva that lasts seven days after a loved one is buried. After shiva, most normal activities can be resumed, but it is the end of sheloshim that marks the completion of religious mourning for a spouse,” wrote Sheryl on her Facebook page. 

 

“I think when tragedy occurs, it presents a choice. You can give in to the void or you can try to find meaning. These past thirty days, I have spent many of my moments lost in that void. I have lived thirty years in these thirty days. I am thirty years sadder. I feel like I am thirty years wiser.

 

“But when I can, I want to choose life and meaning. And this is why I am writing: to mark the end of sheloshim and to give back some of what others have given to me. While the experience of grief is profoundly personal, the bravery of those who have shared their own experiences has helped pull me through. I am sharing what I have learned in the hope that it helps someone else,” wrote Sheryl. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and many other prominent personalities were seen posting words of encouragement on Sheryl’s Facebook page.