Posts by Patti Budnik
Creating a Healing Memorial Garden
By: Rose Carlson Many people enjoy gardening as a relaxing and comforting way to connect with nature, so creating a special memorial garden may be the ideal project for this spring. The planning process can give you something positive and creative to focus on at a time when you may have difficulty focusing on much…
Read MoreYou can help, even when feeling helpless
By: Marie Kriedman It can be difficult when friends or family grieve a loss. Watching someone work through shock and crippling pain is even more difficult when you want to help. There are no concrete steps that will make it better, and it can feel helpless. A friend of mine experienced a baby loss at…
Read MoreWords that Heal: Journaling your way through healing and hope
By: Rose Carlson People often feel intimidated by the thought of journaling because they think they are not good writers. Perhaps they have bad memories of papers and English classes with red pen marks pointing out every mistake. But journaling is not about “good” writing. Or grammar. Or punctuation. Or spelling. Or any of that.…
Read MoreWalking in My Grief
By: Amanda Crews Child loss is something I had honestly never even thought about. Now, it’s all that I think about. We lost our first born at 37 weeks. On Thursday we heard his heartbeat, and on Friday, he was gone. How do you wrap your head around that? It’s nearly impossible. It took everything…
Read MoreGrieving Individually and as a Couple
By: Marie Kriedman My water broke unexpectedly on a Sunday morning, and I gave birth at home. My husband cradled our tiny daughter while I spoke with the on-call OB. She urged me to go to the ER for care. I left the hospital with an empty uterus, a body that still looked pregnant, and…
Read MoreYou are not Alone
By: Amanda Crews When I rolled into our family’s house on Christmas Eve, I was nervous but also happy to see everyone. It had been around 9-months since we had lost our sweet Carson, at 37 weeks, and we were just weeks out from losing our little girl at 10 weeks. The dinner was great,…
Read MoreIt’s Ok
By: Lindsey Dell To you. The mother and father sitting at home, binge watching Netflix because you don’t feel like celebrating the holidays this year. It’s ok. To you. The parents of an angel baby who put on a brave face every day when they go out into the world but are secretly dying inside.…
Read MoreMaking Sure She Matters
By: Marie Kriedman Miscarriages are an emotional bombshell on many levels. The holidays can be an additional burden to families struggling with heartache. One of my struggles is knowing my daughter’s impact. She has no birth certificate and no social security number. Olivia was deeply loved within my family, but I have no proof of…
Read MoreHoliday Hodge Podge
By: Lindsey Dell Holidays… Am I Right?? That time of year when families are getting together and celebrating, exchanging gifts, reminiscing about happy times of years past. The time of year when people are constantly reminding you to be thankful and grateful for everything you have. Maybe you have one of those families that likes…
Read MoreWhat if you aren’t feeling thankful?
By: Rose Carlson ‘Tis the season to be…thankful? What if you don’t feel thankful, or think you have anything to be thankful for this year? What if you feel guilty about not having an “attitude of gratitude?” Others may tell you, “Just be thankful for what you DO have,” which can be hurtful and make…
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