Self Care
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 MoreA Letter to my Baby Girl
By: Julz Richterman Finding out I was pregnant 4 months after losing my baby, Bobby, brought a wave of conflicting emotions. I was thrilled I was pregnant again, anxious I would have to live through another nightmare, and angry that the new baby was “replacing” the one I lost. I decided to write this letter…
Read MoreWalking Down the Stairs: Even Good Days Hurt
By: Julz Richterman Tragedy is a gas that seeps into every part of your life. Not only are you left remembering the “before” you, but you are haunted by the “should be” and “what if” you – the you who will never exist. You miss the person who never thought about these two opposing realities:…
Read MoreI Wanted to Say Thank You, but I Couldn’t: A Letter to MY Parents
By: Julz Richterman Saying “thank you” used to be easy. You always supported me, even if you didn’t agree with me. You let me make my own mistakes, celebrated with me when life went well, and stood by me when it didn’t. None of this changed when I said I wanted to go to a…
Read MoreEighteen
By: Autumn Purdy “… I find sweet peace in depths of autumn woods, Where grow the ragged ferns and roughened moss; The naked, silent trees have taught me this,— The loss of beauty is not always loss!” From “November” by Elizabeth Drew Stoddard I awaken from a vivid, haunting dream and remorsefully remember: She’d be…
Read MoreCoping with Miscarriage
By: Sierra Dean After I miscarried, my first thought was, “How long will I be sad?” The answer: as long as you need. Everyone’s experience with miscarriage is different and valid. I’ve experienced several miscarriages, but each one took a certain toll on me, whether emotionally or physically. You have a right to your feelings.…
Read MoreGoing Back to Work After a Loss
Going back to work after a loss is challenging. Often you are a imitation of your former self, making it difficult to get through the work day. The suggestions given are intended to lessen your stress and know that your are not alone.
Read MoreFinding Books as a Writer-Parent Who Experienced Loss
Seeking books to comfort your grief following the loss of a baby. The stories and words of others can provide us comfort and encouragement.
Read MoreWhen Hello Means Goodbye
By: Tracy Gilmour-Nimoy, M.S., LMFT, PMH-C Over the edge of an exam table, my feet anxiously dangle; I can hear the sound from the crinkling paper as I nervously shift, my eyes desperately locked with my husband’s. A week of multiple diagnostics and appointments has led us here—in a doctor’s office three hours from home,…
Read MoreBe Kind To Yourself
By: Keisha Wells “Be kind to yourself.” This was one of the first words of encouragement I received from a fellow angel mom. The first time I had ever been given this guidance. Her words were both comforting and abstract. How could I give any thought to caring for myself when facing such a crushing…
Read More