Why do my children decide to climb on the outside and restricted area of the McDonalds play place? The one building they purposely invite you to explore winding slides, rope bridges and twisting tunnels is still not enough to keep them from eagerly pushing the boundaries. Amidst the many children who run, jump and scream throughout the play place, I … [Read more...]
Guest Post by RaeAnne “Promise me you’ll stay with him, no matter what.” I said those words to my husband as we wrote our birth plan for our son Samuel’s arrival. “I promise”, was his reply. Just a few weeks earlier, after an anomaly was discovered during a routine ultrasound, we learned that our precious little baby was not going to … [Read more...]
It has been two years. Two years ago, on March 5th, we said hello and goodbye. It has been a tough month. The anticipation was just as dreadful last year. The seemingly dreary day approached slowly. This year, we felt a heaviness swarm in around my wife and I. The air was thick -- almost suffocating. Human beings have a natural built in … [Read more...]
I opened the front door of our home and started walking. A new subdivision was under construction behind our home. Beyond the construction zone, it opened into a field marked with a tall wooden post that was spray painted with orange numbers. Honestly, it wasn’t the walk that I desired but rather some time alone. I needed to write. I needed … [Read more...]
“Lord we come to you now.” He paused as if searching for the words. "We pray for this precious little baby girl, Bella. Lord we know you are in control.” I opened my eyes, as my Pastor continued his prayer. “Lord even now, I pray, if it is your will, that you perform a miracle here. I trust that you can. Amen.” I slouched to the chair … [Read more...]
My upbringing taught me things that happened during our lives were for a reason. Sometimes the reason was quite evident. While other times, when it mattered most, the reason seemed to be just out of sight, hidden, never to be found. The why went unanswered when my parents divorced. The why remained unsolved when my, then twelve-year-old son, moved … [Read more...]
When I reached down to pick up the box, it took little strength to carry. How could this loss cause me to drag my feet with the heaviness of despair, yet her coffin was comfortably secure in the partially tensed muscles of my arms? I made the walk past the rows of mourners and placed the casket on the table which was framed by beautiful flowers. To … [Read more...]
Guest Post by Tam You won’t see his tears. It’s not that they aren’t there, but for whatever reason in your earnestness to check on her, you forgot about him. Nobody whispers about him. Their focus and their conversation remains firmly on her. How will she cope? Does she cry at night? How can she exist? Stoic and determined, he … [Read more...]
Guest Post by Julie Bindeman, Psy-D As if there isn’t enough difficulty when dealing with pregnancy loss, an added factor that can be surprising for a couple is how each processes the grief they experience. Please note that I will be speaking in generalizations in this entry, but just as the grief process isn’t linear for everyone, these … [Read more...]
Read part 1 to this series here I remember the evening breeze being much cooler than it should have been. In Texas, cold weather is as common as my 9-year-old son volunteering to mow the grass – it just doesn’t happen. I sat down on the old wooden bench. It was so quiet. Today was our first day home after leaving the hospital. Friends and … [Read more...]
When I was pregnant with Nora I was worried about how introducing a child into our lives would change the relationship between my husband and me. Nick and I have had a strong loving connection since our first date, after meeting through online dating. We are a perfect match in every way. His calm and [...]
Exactly one year and six months ago, my husband and I said hello and then goodbye to our daughter, Eve. When the doctor told us that she’d died inside of me, I didn’t see how I was going to survive her birth, much less the days and weeks and months of life-without-her that lay ahead. [...]
