I know for certain that we never lose the people we love, even to death. They continue to participate in every act, thought and decision we make. Their love leaves an indelible imprint in our memories. We find comfort in knowing that our lives have been enriched by having shared their love. – Leo Buscaglia [...]
Found 25 results
Mom Wears a Mask on Halloween
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October 28, 2011
1 Response
Monday is Halloween, and although we do not celebrate it like we did when my daughter Marcy was alive and young enough to enjoy the night, we still answer the door to the goblins and fairy princesses from our neighborhood. “How pretty you look,” I say to the young children wearing long princess dresses. “And how [...]
10 Years Later, 9/11 Memories are Razor Sharp
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September 11, 2011
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Today is the 10th anniversary of the terror attack on the World Trade Center. Our hearts go out even now to the thousands of people who died that day: children, husbands, wives, sisters, brothers and friends. So many people mourned, are still mourning and will never forget the worst terrorist act on American soil. I [...]
Father’s Day Tough for Those Who Lost Child
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June 19, 2011
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Happy Father’s Day to all fathers. Today is your day, and I hope you celebrate it with loved ones. Many fathers react differently to this day depending on where they are in their lives; it may be especially difficult for a father who has lost a child. One bereaved father wrote this poem: As this [...]
Our Children are Always With Us in Spirit
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May 21, 2011
3 Responses
I know for certain that we never lose the people we love, even to death. They continue to participate in every act, thought and decision we make. Their love leaves an indelible imprint in our memories. We find comfort in knowing that our lives have been enriched by having shared their love. Leo Buscaglia I [...]
Movie Review: ‘Rabbit Hole’
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February 7, 2011
1 Response
Finally, a movie has been released that shows how the death of a child traumatizes a whole family. It has taken a very long time to try to portray accurately the toll such an event takes on everyone involved: parents, siblings (if any), grandparents, other relatives and friends. Until the 1980s, the death of a child [...]
Honoring a Deceased Child on Valentine’s Day
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February 7, 2011
2 Responses
Valentine’s Day is a day for love, and a day to celebrate with those you love. It’s also another holiday to remember your child, who can no longer celebrate with you. It is a difficult day for all of us who grieve the loss of our child or children. So I say, embrace Valentine’s Day as a [...]
Elizabeth Edwards Helped Others Who Had Suffered Child-Loss
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December 8, 2010
4 Responses
I had a personal experience with Elizabeth Edwards that I will never forget. She was the keynote speaker at the 2007 Compassionate Friends conference in Oklahoma City, which I attended. I bought her book “Saving Graces,” took it with me to the conference and wanted her to sign it. At the time, she was doing [...]
Share Your Memories With Family of the Deceased
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November 16, 2010
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Sharing memories after the death of a child can help the grieving family more than you’ll ever know. If you were close to a child who has died, there are many things you can do to help the parents and other family members. But the absolute best is to share precious moments you had with [...]
Googling Your Child’s Name
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September 13, 2010
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A few days ago, I started rummaging through the Internet and decided to put in my deceased daughter’s full name when unmarried and see what came up. I was astonished to find two Google pages of information on her and links to me, my book, Open to Hope and the fund established in her name. [...]
Telling the Positive Story of Your Deceased Child’s Life
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July 10, 2010
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I have a suggestion for all bereaved parents to call up positive memories of your child. First you need to find a quiet place in your home with no distractions, sit in a comfortable chair and with pen and paper or on your computer, jot down a few phrases of every good memory you can [...]
Finding a Cause Helps Those Who are Grieving
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April 22, 2010
1 Response
Losing a child will be the most difficult loss in your life, but you can and will get through it. One of the most productive ideas for your well-being after the death is choosing to find a cause, a reason to move on with your life. Parents may become active in different organizations. These include: Compassionate Friends, Bereaved [...]
How to Maintain a Marriage After Child-Loss
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March 3, 2010
1 Response
Many couples who have experienced the death of their child may also experience a crisis in their marriage as a result. This untimely event can be an opportunity for growth bringing the two people closer together. The belief that a bereaved couple is doomed to divorce is blown way out of proportion. In fact, a [...]
How Couples Grieve Differently After a Child-Loss
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January 11, 2010
2 Responses
A friend of mine told me recently that she is moving on with her life after her only son died 2 1/2 years ago. Her voice sounded upbeat. Her spirits were soaring. Only good things are happening now, and she is enjoying what she has to look forward to: grandchildren growing up, graduating, marrying, a [...]
Don’t Say You’re ‘Fine’ When You’re Not
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December 19, 2009
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When we are on a grief journey and someone asks us, “How are you feeling?” the tendency is to say, “I’m fine.” But we’re not fine, and one of my friends pointed that out to me a few months after my daughter died. She said in a rather exasperated voice, “You’re not fine and don’t [...]
Helping Bereaved Parents Cope
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November 18, 2009
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by Sandy Fox There are many things that can be done to help bereaved parents cope. You may have a friend who is just starting out on his or her grief journey, and it is hard enough for them to just get out of bed in the morning. They don’t need any platitudes from you [...]
Saying Inappropriate Things to Bereaved Parents
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November 8, 2009
3 Responses
When on your grief journey, you may hear people say things to you that are not appropriate at all. Perhaps that person was only trying to comfort you or has never lost a child and has no idea what you are feeling or going through. Certain phrases and sentences to others may seem like a [...]
“New Song” Organization Helps the Bereaved
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November 1, 2009
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by Sandy Fox If your family has suffered the death of a loved one and needs support dealing with the pain and the grief journey, an organization called NEW SONG, started in the Phoenix, Arizona, area provides nurturing support for grieving children and their families. It also offers comprehensive grief education for volunteers and professionals [...]
How the Phases of Grief Worked for Bereaved Mom
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October 24, 2009
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In the first few years of your grief journey after the loss of a child, you will experience so many different emotions, all of which are normal and not “weird” as some people may say to you. There are five phases of grief (some experts use different names for each phase, but in the end [...]
When Will I Feel Better?
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October 14, 2009
1 Response
by Sandy Fox Why don’t I feel better? It’s been a year…two years…three years since I lost my child. I hear this a lot. Don’t be impatient. The fact that you want to feel better and move on with your life after the loss of a child is a good sign. What you don’t realize [...]
Strength Survives Losing a Child
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October 4, 2009
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by Sandy Fox Is there anything good that comes from losing a child? At first all you feel is excruciating heartache, ever present loneliness, deep emptiness, the old life gone forever, the future a blur, the person you loved most in the world gone forever, and you…changed forever. Nothing is ever the same again. You [...]
Using a Recovery Program vs. Support Groups
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September 27, 2009
1 Response
by Sandy Fox Not everyone agrees that a grief support group is what all bereaved parents need. One psychology counselor, Maurice Turmel, says that support groups are just that; they offer support but no direction. He believes that these parents are simply recycling their pain and not moving forward with their recovery. He believes parents [...]
Rituals
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September 16, 2009
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by Sandy Fox Rituals are part of life. When your child dies, they become even more important. For myself, I have a few rituals I follow to honor and remember my daughter. Today will be one of them. Each time I leave town for more than just a weekend, as I will very soon, I [...]
Angel Moms
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September 8, 2009
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by Sandy Fox I found a web site bereaved mothers may be interested in looking at and even joining. The site is www.angelmoms.com . Through their pain, these mothers have bonded together to offer each other love, support and understanding, something we all need. Their email group of moms chats daily, sharing tears and laughter. [...]
Handling Guilt Reactions
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August 29, 2009
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by Sandy Fox It is the two year anniversary of my friend’s daughter’s death. Whether she died from an overdose of drugs by accident or on purpose will never be known. What is known is that she did abuse drugs. Her entire life her mom tried to help her only child in any way she could. [...]
