Tag: Bereavedparents
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New Every Morning
When Rachel first died, I had an awful time sleeping. I had a hard time getting to sleep even when I was exhausted. I tended to toss and turn and sleep restlessly. I often had nightmares that jarred me awake, my heart pounding, and my lungs gasping for breath. My panic would wake my husband…
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Distracted
I’m writing this on April 11th, 2026. Today marks nine years since my younger daughter went to Heaven. Even nine years down the road, certain dates weigh heavy on me – Rachel’s birthday, her wedding anniversary, Mothers’ Day, and the day she left this world. I always try to plan something to distract me on…
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Dedication
Back in September of last year, I wrote a post called Coffee. I talked about how when my daughter Rachel was in college, she started attending a campus outreach that was part of a fledgling local church. She quickly became a regular attendee at the church and its “home groups.” Rachel volunteered to be part…
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Complicated
I’ve written several times about how comforting it can be to hear “me, too” when you are hurting. When you see someone who’s been through a similar loss or traumatic experience and is still able to put one foot in front of the other, it’s reassuring. When they’re willing to slow their pace and invite…
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When Do I Get to Start?
Grief is a necessary and expected emotion in response to a loss. When the loss is the death of a significant loved one, the grief is going to be heavy and prolonged. The depth of our grief is in proportion to the depth of love we felt for that person. Indeed, grief, in varying forms,…
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Just Like That
One of the difficult aspects of grief is how it can catch you unawares. I can be having an average day (not a “trigger day”) walking through the grocery store, driving down the highway, or having a casual conversation with a neighbor and out of the blue a random comment, a song, or a memory…
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Would Have Been
I read devotionals from several sources each morning. One of them is Proverbs 31 Ministries. In 2021 I began to entertain the thought of sharing my journey of child loss through a blog site. I just wasn’t sure how to start. I felt like my grief was still too raw and I didn’t want to…
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Fall
A sweet friend gave me a bracelet for my birthday with the inscription from Psalm 46:5, “God is within her, she will not fall.” I wear it every day along with my bracelet inscribed with the fruits of the spirit. Both these verses on my wrist are nearby to comfort and inspire me. I wish…
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Don’t Give Up
A couple of years ago I wrote a post titled “What I Write About.” My impetus for this blog was the loss of my younger daughter Rachel in April of 2017. My initial writing was mostly just pouring out the emotions that were going to break me as a person if I didn’t find some…
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Honor
A dear friend of mine lost her infant granddaughter last week. This friend is no stranger to child loss. In fact, we met through her blog and Facebook group for bereaved parents. She lost her middle son a year before my Rachel died. He was a talented musician and on track to graduate from law…
A Light for My Path 