Bereaved Parents
I am One in 8.
By: Chasity Marquette One in 8. That is just a statistic not unlike any other you see for diseases and conditions affecting Americans today. Until it isn’t. You never think it’s going to be you. I always knew I struggled with female issues (PCOS, Endometriosis, and painful cycles) that only worsened after my less than…
Read MoreBooks To Comfort Your Heart: A Quarantine Reading List
Losing a baby can be a lonely, isolating experience, and unless one has known someone who had such a loss, it is easy to feel as if no one understands what you are experiencing. For those who are grieving the death of their baby, the right books can help you process the loss. Different types…
Read MoreDon’t Try To Stitch Up My Broken Heart
To the family and friends of a loved one suffering the heartbreak of infertility and loss.
Read MoreA Brief Life But One of Love
By: Anna Eastland I recently attended a celebration of life for a baby boy who lived for one month. His name was Matthew. He had the genetic defect Trisomy 18, so it was actually a miracle he lived that long. Before the funeral Mass, his mother, Maggie, got up and spoke in front of the…
Read MoreArtwork on the Refrigerator
By: Amy Lied This piece of paper covered in scribbles is something I’ve longed to have on my fridge for years. I use to go over to my friend’s homes and see their child’s daycare artwork hanging there and stare longingly at it. I ached to have art on my fridge from my child. Each…
Read MoreEmbracing Our Realities Even in the Face of a Shared Grief
By: Tosin Popoola Introduction Among the Yoruba people of Nigeria, pregnancy and perinatal loss are understood and interpreted from the concept of ‘pot and water.’ From the Yoruba worldview, a pregnant woman is like a pot and the pregnancy she is carrying is the water. From this perspective, when Yoruba people want to communicate that…
Read MoreGrieving Now and Grieving Then
By: Brooke Taylor Duckworth I studied Victorian literature in graduate school, and alongside the novels I read, I learned a great deal about culture in Victorian England. Nineteenth-century Britain was fascinating to me—particularly in all of its contrast with our contemporary society. The strictly gendered spheres for men and women, the uncomfortable clothing, the formal…
Read MoreA Celebration of Life
By: Nikki Grayson Colorful flowers float down the river as we say our goodbyes to my Grandpa Dave at his farm. It’s a cold day in November, family and friends have gathered together to celebrate the life he lived. A few short months before he died, he told me where he wanted his ashes spread…
Read MoreLet’s Stop Saying “At Least”
By: Amy Lied When someone you love dies, it seems to be fairly customary to express your sympathies followed by some platitude to attempt to lessen the griever’s pain. This is where the “at-least” statements come into play. A few of my favorites after my son died were: “I’m so sorry for your loss.”…
Read MoreWork In Process: Healing After the Loss of My Baby
By: Robyn Busekrus The phrase, “Work in Progress,” has been one that I have heard frequently quoted. Work in process I like better, since healing is a process that progresses. When I think of where I am today, I am a healing work in process. I don’t think I will be whole again. However, I…
Read More