Special Topics, Your Grief

Learn the Biggest Lesson Grief and Loss Offers

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

The death of a loved one and the grief that follows teach many lessons. Perhaps the most important one is that pain is the sign to take a new road in life. This is a double barreled lesson. First, we often have to decide to do some things we have not thought of previously or ever attempted before. And secondly, of equal importance, the key to advancement into our new world (that is, our adaptation to the loss) is the necessity to take action. Accepting the new and taking action are crucial learnings; they are also difficult to embrace. New […]

Death of a Child

Finding Hope After the Death of a Child

Thursday, January 17, 2008

By Harriet Hodgson I am still in shock at the death of my daughter, the 45-year-old mother of twins.  The shock of her death in a car crash will be with me forever.  Fortunately, I am blessed to have twin grandchildren and my new mission in life is caring for them.  My husband and I share this mission. I know my grandchildren and they know me.  They know I love them, will care for them, and keep my promises.  Though they are living with their father my mind is filled with parenting thoughts about them.  Do you have enough lunch money? […]

Death of a Child

Poem: We Hardly Got To Know You

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

My Great Grand daughter Raimey Elizabeth Cantrell-Rider, born June 21, 2007, died Dec 31, 2007. I wrote this poem for her and her family. We hardly got to know you before you passed away. You were so sweet and beautiful, As dear as dear can be. We hardly got to know you before you left this world. Wait! Come back! We’re really not ready to say goodbye. We hardly got to know you before your very last breath. We were so looking forward to knowing you, and watching you grow and change. We hardly got to know you before you […]

Death of a Child, Special Topics

Poem: Cenos

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

I will name this thing we are not made for This thing that has happened to some, that we never expected, that we blame ourselves for, more that we should. We sit next to you on the bus, talk to you at work or in line You might never know, we cloak it well Unless you catch us crushed, Pulled over past impromptu roadside flowers, blown away After radio news of yet another soldier gone, wretched In the hospital on deaths, anniversaries, hollowed out Avoiding baby showers and pregnant women. Sobbing We are not made for our children to die […]

Death of a Child

My Youngest Son Died in an Accident

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Dear Dr. Gloria, My youngest son Nathan, just 20 years old died in a car accident on my husband’s birthday, July 7th, 2007. He took a curve too fast on July 4th at 3:30 am, the same curve he had taken 100 times before. He was not not wearing a seat belt, he was ejected from the car window.  He landed in a grassy meadow in a remote area and it took emergency response a while to locate him. His car rolled end on end, but the inside of the car was unharmed, he would have lived if he had […]

Death of a Child, Special Topics

Poem: Why Did You Come, 2008?

Friday, January 4, 2008

Why did you come two thousand and eight? And why is everyone happy and feeling so great? If your intention is to bring me joy, then it is too late Since you have already determined my fate I cannot welcome another new year Without having my beloved daughter near It is amazing how everyone else is joyful and wants to cheer I guess many among them have not yet lost someone so dear! “Why are you so sad on this day?” I am asked “Does it coincide with the day your daughter passed?” Gone should be the days that you […]