by Kay Bevington Rhonda's Mom As I sit in my office today, I am reminded of how our grief resembles the ice-filled trees, the snowy ice crystals on the lawn, and the slick streets just beyond our office window. NW Ohio is currently encountering an ice storm. We encountered the worst "storm" imaginable when our …
Continue reading "New Year’s Day 2021 (no surviving children)"
When a child dies at any age or circumstance, parents begin their painful journey through grief. In the beginning, family and friends rush to your aid to help you cope. But as time goes on they seem to become bored with your grief. "Get over it". "It's been several months, you need to get better". …
Continue reading "Helping Bereaved Parents ~ Do’s and Don’ts List"
by Lynn Jett Minick In loving memory of my daughter, Denise Minick Cveticanin who, along with her unborn daughter, Laura, was brutally murdered. When someone you loved is murdered, your emotions become intensified to a much greater extent than you can imagine. You feel as though you have been thrown into an emotional tailspin. Shock, …
by Bethany Desjarlais The minute you find out you are pregnant, especially with your first child, you go through a myriad of emotions. At least I did. I circled around terror, fear, hesitation, worry, and excitement before landing on overall happiness. The first few weeks were spent planning how the rest of our lives would go. I saw …
by Blair Ackiss Grief is like giving birth except I have no idea when the pain of grief will subside. At least with birth, there is the “baby-is-here” finale where joy and elation take over. Those endorphins are wonderful even after the epidural wears off. I find with grief that there is no shining moment …
Continue reading "What Do I Do Now, Ian? (unknown cause/teen death)"
by Kelly Farley I often hear from grieving dads that tell me they feel alone in their grief after the death of their child. It amazes me that after going through something as profound as the death of a child, that these men feel so alone and isolated. As much as it amazes me, I …
by Carol Loehr “Suicide is so selfish.” “If he loved you so much why did he hurt you this way?” “Pray for your son so he can get out of purgatory.” “There will always be something unacceptable about the freely-chosen death of a loved one.” “Why did he do it?” “Did he leave a suicide …
by Ernie Laughlin Brenda and I have two children: Melanie, who was 32 when she died on September 20, 2009, and Jennifer, who was 28 when she died on July 16, 2011. We have no surviving children. But we DO have a grandson. Eli is 13 and is Mel’s son. He lives with his paternal …
Continue reading "On Angels’ Wings (drug overdose/no surviving children)"
by Kay Bevington The death of a child from any cause or at any age is the most devastating experience that a parent will ever encounter in one’s lifetime. Parents are supposed to die before their children or at least that is what we are conditioned to believe in our society in the United States …
Continue reading "Alive Alone: Death of an Only Child/All Children"
by Peggy Sweeney Editor's Note: My child died as the result of an ectopic pregnancy. It wasn’t until several years later, while attending a prenatal workshop as a bereavement educator, that I grieved my child’s death, named my baby (Noel), and found peace in my heart. Regardless of age or cause, the death of a …
