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Jealous
One of the devotionals I read is from Proverbs 31 Ministries. There’s so much about this organization I love – their morning posts, their in-depth Bible studies, their books and podcasts, and their in-person seminars. They offer a writing program for Christian women through their Compel training branch. I went through their training program for…
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Remembering
Today is Memorial Day in the U.S. A lot of people confuse Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day. Veterans’ Day, an official U.S. holiday each November 11th, celebrates and honors all who have served or are serving in our Armed Forces. Memorial Day, held on the last Monday in May, is set aside specifically to honor…
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Plans
When this publishes, we will have just returned from celebrating our niece’s college graduation. She is a smart, beautiful young lady with a bright future ahead of her. She majored in Sports Management at University of Tennessee Knoxville and worked as a manager for the girls’ basketball team while getting her undergrad degree. She will…
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The Ring
Eight years ago on Mother’s Day, we celebrated our younger daughter’s engagement. Her fiancé had proposed a few weeks earlier with a beautiful wooden ring that he made. But, she had asked me several years prior if, when she got married, she could have her grandmother’s wedding set to be engaged with. Rachel was an…
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Invisible
When this post goes live on Monday, May 6th, we will be in between two significant Sundays for grieving mothers. The second Sunday in May is Mother’s Day in the US. It’s been celebrated annually since 1908 and became an official holiday in 1914. Almost 100 years later, a mother in Australia started International Bereaved…
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That Person
Many bereaved parents express dismay and concern that they are not the same person they used to be before child loss. After the initial tidal waves of grief subside, they often find that they don’t recognize themselves. Yes, grief can take a toll on our physical bodies. But, they feel uncomfortable in their own skin,…
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What Consumes You?
About a year and a half ago, I wrote a post called “When Grief Consumes Us.” I am often drawn to Lamentations 3, verses 22-23: Because of the Lord’s great comfort, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations…
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At Bay
I am not a superstitious person. I don’t believe in signs or symbols or talismans. Sure, I’ll wish someone good luck if they are entering a contest or competing in a game. But, it’s just encouragement. I don’t think my saying it has an effect on the outcome. I believe it’s good practice to be…
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The Hole
This Thursday, April 11th will be seven years since my daughter went to Heaven. For those who are new to my blog posts, Rachel died in a traffic accident on a beautiful spring morning on her way to work. We don’t know for sure, but based on comments from another driver, she may have been confused…
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Already
By the time this post publishes, it will be the Monday after Easter. Many of my devotionals and Bible readings during this Lenten season have been about the events leading up to Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection. Three of the gospels, Matthew, John, and Luke tell the Easter story. But, Matthew describes something that neither of…
A Light for My Path
Carrying the torch for bereaved parents.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
Why I’m Here
It feels impossible that I have lived for more than eight years now (ed. 2025) without one of my children in my life. Yet, here I am. And, here I will be for however many more years I have in this world.
I’ve learned a lot in these ensuing years. Some lessons I didn’t want to learn and some I wouldn’t have learned any other way than through losing Rachel. I would give anything to have remained ignorant. I have learned that losing a child changes you fundamentally, just as becoming a parent does. I have learned that those changes can be hard on relationships. That members of the same family will grieve differently, and we have to give each other grace. That deep and lasting grief can be frightening or uncomfortable to others. That some of those others will pull away. That many more others will stand beside you even when your changed self is hard to be around, awkward, talking too much, silent, laughing inappropriately, or crying uncontrollably.
What doesn’t change is God’s grace and mercy. He is here in the midst of the deepest grief. His Spirit groans for us when we don’t know what to pray. And, in my case, He led me to a wonderful group of other hurting hearts who shared their loss experiences, their faith struggles, and their recognition that though we grieve, we grieve with hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
I’ve decided that just maybe I’ve attained enough life lessons to be of some help to other grieving parents. To that end, I launched this blog site and a companion Facebook page. They are open to all, but the target audience is parents who have lost a child and those who love and want to support them. My posts reflect my Christian beliefs and will follow Biblical principles. I welcome questions, comments, humor, soul-baring, vulnerability, doubt, strength, and support.
Laura 3/28/2022
We are all just walking each other home.
Ram Dass
A Light for My Path 