In the last 12 months, I have traveled extensively, attending a myriad of ceremonies to honor Roger and to preserve his legacy. During some of these travels I have felt the sadness of others who have shared their loss and grief with me. Roger has been with me every step of the way. His presence is felt and it's what has kept me strong, along with the steady support of extended family (both my own and Roger's) and friends– and the lovely outpouring of encouragement from Roger's fans.

Fortunately, the constant stream of commitments kept me busy in the beginning. Just a couple weeks after Roger's funeral and memorial tribute, I welcomed our guests at Ebertfest in Roger's hometown of Urbana-Champaign. One of my favorite healing moments in the midst of profound grief was when actress Tilda Swinton led the audience in a group dance to an infectious Barry White tune. Everybody caught the fever, and rose to their feet, dancing and clapping as White sang: "You're the first, my last, my everything."

Even in my grief, I wasn't immune to celebrating Roger through movement. I threw my arms up in the air and danced across the stage as Tilda made her way through the crowd. In those moments I felt free of the heavy cloud of pain and heartbreak, and I know Tilda felt the same as she had recently lost her mother. Being in the presence of such uplifting people while we danced and watched movies programmed by Roger kept me going. Gave me a reason to put one foot in front of the other. And now I am looking forward to maintaining the film festival Roger loved so much. On April 23 we will hold the 16Ebertfest at the Virginia Theater. And on April 24 Donna and Scott Anderson will unveil a statue of Roger that Donna conceived of when she was in the hospital for a heart transplant. So, literally, this sculpture comes from the heart. How humbling.

Not all moments were joyous like that, of course. Weeks later, I broke down at the Golden Door retreat during a yoga class, reminded that physical movement and deep breathing can also draw out emotions we try to suppress at the worst possible times. Nat King Cole's performance of the romantic song "My Funny Valentine" triggered deep emotions and I found that a good cry was the best prescription.