Child Loss: Where Are My Friends?
“What happened? Where are my friends?” Those are probably two of the most pain-filled questions that parents and families of child loss ask following the death of a child. This seems to be the one thing that is misunderstood the most by grieving parents.
Child Loss: The Secret in My Dresser Drawer
Twenty five years ago something happened in my life that I didn’t think I could live through. One day I was happily pregnant anticipating a new baby joining our family. And, then without warning I didn’t feel any of the kicks and somersaults that I looked forward to all throughout the day and night. My body was so still and it was frightening. I was too afraid to move. Too afraid to say anything. Too afraid to allow my thoughts to enter that dark chamber where I knew my heart was going to receive news that would cause my heart to break in two. I waited ’til morning to call the doctor. Maybe I…
Child Loss: The Silence is Deafening!
As I think back on the worst moments of child loss and the loss of my sister, the one thing that stands out the most is the silence. The “absence” of the child that was loved so much leaves a silence that is deafening. Everything about the silence is a reminder that our child is no longer with us. No more waking up to the cries of a little one needing his diaper changed. No more giggles following a splishy-splashy bubble bath. No more hearing the words “mommy or daddy” fifty or more times in a row. No excited talk at the dinner table about the soccer game. No noise …
The Darkest Day of My Life: The Funeral
Probably every person alive remembers the happiest moment of their life and when we recall that moment or occasion or person that brought us such joy that we smile from the inside out and get butterflies in our stomach! Thankfully, I can remember several “happiest moments” in my life, and I hope you can, too! Our darkest moments — those days when we cannot believe we managed to continue to breathe — are the ones we want to forget, yet these moments seems to plague us forever. These heavy, painful times dig right into the core of our heart and won’t let go. The pain of grief gnaws at us continuously for a long…