Dads grieve too. The women in our loss community say it often and we say it with such passion. Dads grieve too. However, right after we finish that statement the discomfort settles in. A question inevitably arises: Yes, dads grieve but how do we support them in their grief? There’s a lot we, as…
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To The Nurses Who Brought Me Back Into Life
Continue...Thank you for saving me. Your skills and your knowledge saved me from following my daughter into death, but it was your compassion that guided me back towards life. The humanity you demonstrated is what brought me back into life; you made it possible to think about living after death. For this, I owe you…
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All That Remains: Why I Haven’t Laid My Daughter To Rest
Continue...All that remains of my daughter, Dorothy, rests on my desk. Nestled in between a stack of journals and my pencil cup of felt tip pens, there is a tiny ceramic urn adorned with a floral pattern in purple and ivory. I wish I could give a poignant reason for her being there. But, the…
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Don’t Blame Us: I Wanted My Child To Be A Toys ‘R’ Us Kid Too
Continue...Dear Toys ‘R’ Us, The first time I visited your store was such a thrill. Passing through the whoosh of the sliding doors, I remember the feeling that being inside your store was just like you had advertised; a place where I could be a kid forever. I could see my childhood hopes and dreams on…
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Men Don’t Grieve Differently, They Just Grieve
Continue...As grief steps into the spotlight of mainstream media, there is a light being shone on the bereaved mother. She is vulnerable and strong all at once. She inspires our deepest sympathies and encourages us to listen to her story. But, what about the fathers? Despite our best intentions, women have become the face of…
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Using Therapy To Heal After Loss
Continue...There’s an assumption that you go to therapy to fix what’s broken. I believe this is a reason why people regard therapy with such hesitation. It’s painful to face your fragmented life and it can be even more painful to pick up the pieces. If you’re a bereaved parent, you might not see the point…
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What If We Never Have A Child? Marriage After Infertility And Loss
Continue...A romantic relationship is built on the answers to some very important questions. Questions like, “Where do you see this going?” cement for us whether a certain person is the one. Yet there may be a point when you have to turn to your chosen one and ask, “Where do you see this going if…