Thanksgiving was the first family holiday to arrive after my daughter died It was the first time we gathered together since the service we held to celebrate her brief life of 33 days. I prepared my heart for how the day might feel, but I don’t think any preparations could have made me feel better…
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Balancing Work, Grief, And Self Care
Continue...Returning to work after your child has died is a huge transition in grief. No longer do you have hours in the day to process your emotions and it is more difficult to create time to practice self-care or tend to your heart. Grief is draining both physically and emotionally. Spending hours a day at work…
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We Couldn’t Live There Anymore
Continue...Re-entering the real world after our daughter died was painful. Simple trips to the grocery store became a minefield of grief. It was so emotional to recount our loss to the unknowing cashier and felt devastating to see others avoid us only to scurry down another aisle. It wasn’t only the grocery store that was…
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When Grief Is Overwhelming, I Am Cheering For You
Continue...I thought I’d die from her death. Often, I prayed that I would. I believed the pain would eventually overtake my body and I would die, too. I couldn’t imagine a life worth living without my child. The emptiness and facing a life without my daughter felt overwhelming. I wasn’t suicidal. I was grieving. I…
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Cancer Was Not Supposed To Be Part Of My Story
Continue...‘Malignant cells identified.’ Words I never wanted to hear. My cancer diagnosis arrived just shy of what would have been my daughter’s 7th birthday. I am facing the unknown once again. My diagnosis is unknown, the treatment plan is unknown, my future is unknown, everything is unknown. It’s scary, terrifying, and overwhelming. I have always…
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Managing Fear And Anxiety After Loss
Continue...To say I was fearful after my daughter died would be an understatement. I was suddenly acutely aware that anyone I loved could be taken at any moment. The fear and anxiety were relentless. It was less of “Life is precious,” and more of “This could be the last time we ever speak, hug, see…
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The Gift Of Connection
Continue...I never felt more myself than the day I arrived at a retreat for mothers who experienced the loss a child. I walked in and looked around to see other moms just like me. Their stories were different, their experiences were unlike mine, but the result was the same; they were living life without one…