Today the loss community read your article on having a miscarriage and the memories it brought up of “being ok.” I know many of us, including myself, read your words with a deep ache of understanding – our memories brought back to us of those moments when we just knew something was wrong.
You may face an onslaught of lash back from those outside the loss circle, those who can’t fathom why anyone, and especially Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, would want to share about miscarriage and child loss – something so personal, so private.
I’m sure you already are bracing for this in light of the past few years.
So let me say, for many of us who read and will read your words, thank you.
Thank you for being brave enough to write about your loss, joining the ranks of so many other brave men and women who have done so.
Thank you for sharing the emotions that you felt during and now.
Thank you for reminding us that we are not alone when we experience the loss of a child.
You may have written that article wondering if it would help anyone – and I can assure you it has.
You see, so many of us have lived wondering why miscarriage and child loss is so hidden away in the public circles, why it’s rarely spoken of outside of places like Still Standing or our little circles of family and friends.
And although this taboo has been slowly changing over the years, your article meant so much to so many grieving hearts this holiday season.
You’ve just forced media outlets and people who would rather this topic be left alone to have to face it, to have to put a name on it, who have to acknowledge the emotion behind the loss of a child at any stage.
We have fought this stigma against something we never wanted to happen to us for so many years. We’ve written, made videos, shared, rallied, held vigils, named a month and a day for remembering our children – insisting that in some small way, society remembers them too.
And you and Harry’s lost little one just helped our fight even more. Even though I know we’d all give anything to have our children here instead of whatever “good” or “purpose” comes from the loss, we also know that if we can’t have them, we’d like them to continue living on in some way.
I’m so sorry you have to walk this, and I hope amid the media rush, you will also find peace, love, and kinship in a community that supports you and Harry through this.
Thank you for your words.
We are so sorry for the loss of your child.
Diana Stone is the Editor-in-Chief and owner of Still Standing Magazine, as well as a loss mom to three boys, twins born in 2012 and another son in 2013. She also has two (living) daughters. Currently, Diana teachers first grade for a Reggio-Emilia inspired school and is pursuing a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Her journey with writing online started after the birth of her first daughter in 2009. You can read Diana’s work on World Vision, The Huffington Post, The New York Times, Christianity Today, Babble, Liberating Working Moms, Simple Homeschool, Mom.me, She Reads Truth, Still Standing Magazine, Yahoo, Military Family, Attachment Parenting International, and her own site Diana Wrote.
She’s spoken at the Influence Conference, on several podcasts like Happy, Healthy You and The Morning (episode 51), and a live panel with HuffPo. She’s also traveled alongside World Vision USA to both Zimbabwe and Ecuador to learn about maternal and infant mortality rates in 2015 and to help launch their Chosen program in 2019.
Her passion is advocating for women’s physical and mental health rights during and after the loss of a child at any stage. Contact her at editorial@stillstandingmag.com
{Your Thoughts}