Stillbirth
A Father’s Loss
By: Matt Busekrus My wife Robyn has been writing on her blog at www.robynsnestofhope.com and for Sharing Magazine. I have been proud of her efforts and am glad she is using her writing as a platform to help others that have experienced loss. This month, for Sharing Magazine the topic is Father’s Day and Robyn…
Read MoreDear Grieving Mother,
By: Sabrina Ivy Dear Grieving Mother, First, let me tell you I am so sorry you carry this weight of baby loss. With Mother’s Day just around the corner I understand some of the thoughts that are taunting you. I have them, too. This day looks nothing like it should for us. Whether you held…
Read MoreWhat I Want For Mother’s Day
By: Nora LaFata My first Mother’s Day was as it should be. Breakfast in bed and fingerprint flowers. All of my problems, diluted with brunch. All of my children, alive. I’ve had exactly three Mother’s Days like this, and I will never have another. In late February 2014, my daughter died. She died on a…
Read MoreWhen You’re Not Feeling Well on Mother’s Day
By: Brooke Taylor Duckworth In the months after my first daughter was unexpectedly stillborn, I began to get used to the weight of grief. I became familiar with that sense of stumbling around in a fog, the air around me feeling thick with my own unshed tears. I grew accustomed to the way my throat…
Read MoreTrue Colors: Celebrating on Mother’s Day
By: Robyn Busekrus As Mother’s Day approaches, we may be flooded with memories of our own mothers, longing to be a mother, the pain of losing a child and the joys of becoming a mom. These are just some ways we may connect to the concept on Mother’s Day. For myself, the day is…
Read MoreCandace’s Story
April 2011 “It’s not good, Candace”. The words I never thought I would hear at my scheduled 21 week ultrasound. A flood of tears overwhelm me. “Where’s Josh? Is he here yet?” I ask the tech through sobs and gasps for air. This can’t be happening to me. This isn’t real. Josh comes in and…
Read MoreThe Soul-Sucking (Or Soul-Saving) Space of Social Media
By: Brooke Taylor Duckworth When my daughter died, I dropped off of Facebook. For me, Facebook had been a breezy, easy way to interact with people without getting into any of the harsh realities of life. I definitely used it to present the highlight reel—funny moments, the occasional witty observation, and photos to record the…
Read MoreThe Life of Grief on Social Media
By: Sabrina Ivy There is something cathartic about telling your story. Something healing about sharing your grief. I have a difficult time verbalizing my feelings, but when my fingers touch the keyboard or I pick up a pen it becomes the release for me that I so desperately need. It’s like opening a valve and…
Read MoreThe Other “Me Too” Movement: How Social Media Can Be Healing
By: Nora LaFata My daughter died on February 22, 2014. She was born the next day. My fingers still balk at the sequence of those two sentences. My daughter, who weighed five pounds and three ounces. My daughter, who had a head of dark hair and bright, pursed lips and skinny toes. My daughter, the…
Read MoreThere Are No Words
By: Kathy Gardner I spot her at the grocery store Her son was killed in 9/11 She is tenderly picking out apples And I am scowling at green bananas I wonder if she has heard my news She answers me Simply by looking over her shoulder She must sense a familiar desperation She turns deliberately…
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