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 Melissa Neu I don't know that I've ever been so exhausted. Sit and cry exhausted. Stomach hurting exhausted. "I'm tired, I'm worn, my heart is heavy. From the work it takes, to keep on breathing..." I’ve been seeing a counselor. I had put off making the appt I knew I needed because I didn't want to relive the whole story. It’s … [Read more...]
My son should be turning seven. Seven. So far I've survived five of his birthdays without him. Five. He was killed when he was two. Two. It doesn't add up. It hasn't since the day he was violently robbed from me and it never will. Just thinking about another birthday without him makes me want to crawl into my bed and never come … [Read more...]
Guest Post by Heather Wright I have always been the type of person that likes to please everyone, make everyone feel good. Especially working on a college campus with young adults who are trapped in the in between of their parent’s doing everything for them and learning to take responsibility. They forget to turn something in on time, or break … [Read more...]
Guest Post by Katie Noorbakhsh My mom and I were shopping at the After Christmas Sales. I was eighteen weeks pregnant and in that awkward stage when normal pants will not button but maternity clothes look ridiculous. I hated the idea of buying clothes that would only fit for a month or two. At the same time, I needed clothes that fit. I flipped … [Read more...]
Guest Post by Keira Sorrells It has been five years since my daughter Zoe died. She was one of my triplets born at 25 weeks, 5 days. She spent nine of her fourteen months in the NICU. In many ways I have struggled to find my proper place in the bereaved parent community. Unlike many babyloss moms, I had my daughter for over a year. I know what … [Read more...]
The structure of a support system is something that I haven’t been very familiar with in my personal life. I have cloudy memories of some tradition when I was a small boy. Those memories usually came from holidays and they are blurry at best. At some point in both my immediate and extended family, something broke and has not been fixed since. Was … [Read more...]
A couple months ago, after having one too many clichés flung in my face, through a mess of tears, I wrote this. Then I daydreamed about the next time someone clichés all over me-- instead of nodding and smiling while crying inside, or kindly educating them about a more comforting and helpful way to talk to a bereaved parent-- I'd have enough grit … [Read more...]
This time of the year is my season. I am yearning for summer, when all this will be behind me again. But today, I'm feeling it. The weight. The heaviness. The scar. The cloud of grief. It's always there, but this time of year, I've come to learn over the years, it becomes raw again. It's almost like grief blooming. How bitterly ironic, don't you … [Read more...]
"Be kind to yourself and let yourself grieve." There's not much that is wrong with this thoughtful piece of advice, if you are offering it to someone who has grieved before. Offer it to a loss mom too soon and it is almost like telling a person that is afraid of flying to just get in the cockpit and pilot the plane. Not only is it incredibly scary, … [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. [...]
