Honoring Your Child
The Little Yellow Butterfly
By: Casey Zenner One of the greatest things about being a parent is watching the bond your children have grow over the years. When you have one child in Heaven the fear of missing out on witnessing that bond for me, at least, has been one of the toughest parts of this journey. Not only…
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 MoreChoosing Sunshine This Mother’s Day
By: Nikki Grayson Hello there, Beautiful Momma, I write this to you as I’m sitting in the warm sunshine, blue skies, and bright green grass. Flowers are starting to bloom, and the leaves are starting to bud. It’s that time of the year again; Spring. A season that brings many showers of rain, but also…
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 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 MoreWhere I Am Today
By: Kayla Leibner My life story begins thirty-one years ago, but my life-changing story began just two and a half years ago in August of 2017… From diagnosis to death, we had five days to digest the circumstances threatening the life of our unborn daughter, Melody. Our world was shattered into a million pieces when…
Read MoreThree Years
By: Amy Lied 3 Years This month marks three years since our son died. Three years since I said “hello” and “goodbye” to my child on the same day. Three years since I’ve seen his face. Three years since I’ve held his hand. Three years since my heart shattered into a million pieces. Three years…
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