By Pamela Prime —

Children are the most beautiful gifts and provide the most extraordinary challenges to us.  I often say to parents who are in pain that no one can hurt us as parents like our children can.  They can hurt us with words and actions, with their choices or lack of choices, and with their criticisms and impatience.  And no one can bring the kind of joy that comes from one’s children when they express their love and appreciation of us.

Children are amazing teachers for us.  I think this is because we love them so much that we will do almost anything to have loving relationships with them. The greatest thing they have to teach us is that they have their own lives, and we must learn to let go.  It takes a great deal of time and maturing to remain at peace and to love our children, regardless of how they are living their lives or responding to us as their parents.

If you have children, how have you felt hurt by their words, actions, or choices?  Have you been able to heal your pain and fully engage with your children again? If you do not have children, have you experienced hurt or pain with the children of your siblings or friends?  Have you been able to heal your pain and fully engage with the children again?

Some couples grieve the death of a child while others desperately want to conceive a child and, for whatever reason, they can’t. The pain for these couples can be excruciating and continues until they realize they must live without the child that they long for. There are others who have deeply held desires as well… desires for a loving spouse, a good job, or a healthy body, and find pain in their unmet desires.

If you want to conceive a child or if there is something important to you that you deeply desire, how do you cope with the feelings of disappointment of unmet longings?

Sometimes things happen in our lives that appear utterly incomprehensible and absolutely impossible to overcome. We cannot imagine being normal or happy ever again and yet as time passes, the pain eases and we begin to heal. We don’t ever forget the loss or the pain, but we learn to be happy again in spite of it.

What in your life has caused you to feel as though you could never be happy again? Have you overcome that feeling?

Pamela Prime is a Spiritual Director, an educator and a writer. She has a master’s degree in Systematic Theology from The Graduate School of Theology in Berkeley. Her first book When the Moon is Dark We can See the Stars, was published in 2008.  Pamela has a 4-month-old daughter who died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. She also has a son who at the age of 16, committed suicide. To reach Pamela or learn more about her book, visit www.whenthemoonisdark.com.

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Pamela Prime

Pamela Prime is a mother and a grandmother and lives in Twain Harte and San Francisco. She and her husband have a small retreat with three guest houses in Twain Harte, called Two Bears Dancing! Pamela is a Spiritual Director, an educator and a writer. She has a master’s degree in Systematic Theology from The Graduate School of Theology in Berkeley. Her first book “When the Moon is Dark We can See the Stars” was published in 2008. It is the story of how faith can hold us in our suffering, awaken us, and bring us into deeper awarenesses of God’s love and guidance. Pamela has a 4-month-old daughter who died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. She also has a son who at the age of 16, committed suicide. Pamela was a guest on the radio show Healing the Grieving Heart and discussed Finding Peace and Light After Loss with hosts, Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heidi Horsley. To listen to this show, go to the following link: https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/38294/finding-peace-and-light-after-loss

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