Full and Broken
By: Ann-Marie Ferry My heart is full and broken. I am sitting in my quiet living room as a sweet little 11-week-old girl sleeps on my chest. The time since her birth has been a peaceful one. We have experienced all the crazy sleeplessness and the insanity of transitioning to be a family of four.…
Read MoreDad’s Arms Are Empty Too
By: Nikki Grayson Swollen eyes, pink tinged cheeks, and a steady stream of tears. Dark circles under the eyes, a solemn face, and forced words of strength. The definition of a newly bereaved mom and a newly bereaved dad. Yet we both are experiencing the same hurt and shared grief, the expectations are so different…
Read MoreDear Husband, Thank You
By: Casey Zenner Oftentimes on this loss journey, I find myself forgetting that there is another person on this journey with me. While I, of course, never actually forget about my husband, it is hard in the midst of my grief, to remember he is grieving too. I think that is because our husbands fill…
Read MoreWhen ‘Happy Father’s Day’ Has a New Meaning
By: Steven Lied Happy Father’s Day. These are three words that have taken on a new meaning since the loss of my son, Asher Ray Lied. As I reflect on Father’s Day in my life, I find myself remembering when I was a kid and all of the things that we did for my dad…
Read MoreDear First Trimester Loss Mama
Healing can take time. Remember always that you are strong and brave. Remember you are a mother.
Read MoreBack to Normal
By: Ann-Marie Ferry When normal seems on its way And tears have now ceased When all the thoughts in my head Have settled in a calm place The flood gates open Destroying my glimpse of peace When my mosaic heart is crumbling And I can’t take a breath When tears start in my throat Burning…
Read MoreWhat Medical History Doesn’t Say: The Loss of Hopes and Dreams
By: Ann-Marie Ferry Jon pulls the car up to the door of the hospital. I know where to go and what to do. I’ve done this many times before. He drives off to find a parking spot and I waddle towards the elevators. As I wait with several other people for that “ding,” I feel…
Read MoreThe Bittersweet Song of a Wren
By: Shirley Brosius The trill of a jenny wren still sends a pang of sadness through me. Many years ago, 45 to be exact, my youngest child, my only daughter, died a few hours after her birth. It was a chilly spring, and as I hung out laundry, a jenny wren sang from a tree.…
Read MoreQuiet Heroes
By: Jennifer Haake I spent many years in a clinical capacity in healthcare. I don’t think anyone would ever disagree that nurses are the unsung heroes of medicine. For a newly bereaved parent, they are often the ones to shape where the journey begins. In my case, I was laying on a stretcher getting my…
Read MoreIn Their Darkest Moments: A Nurse’s Experience Helping Families Say Hello and Goodbye
By: Lisa Zorn Oh “you work in Labor and Delivery as a nurse you must have the best job!” This is the comment I would hear from people when they inquired about what I did. I was quick to remind them that the it’s not as glamorous as most may think, we don’t sit around…
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