Bereaved Parent Month: Why Do We NEED One?

I'll be honest with you, it's not long (even after the devastating loss of a child!) before folks around you get tired of hearing how grief impacts your life.

It's not like any of us dragging sorrow behind our broken hearts WANTS to have to explain, again and again, how we just aren't the people we used to be.

We don't want to say, "no", to that invitation or to leave early from a family gathering or to burst into tears at the most awkward and embarrassing moments. But we do and so we have to at least TRY to help others understand.

And even though time plus doing the work grief requires better equips us to carry this load, the absolute weight of it never changes. Our fractured hearts never quite regain their pre-loss shape and life is forever altered because as long as we have breath, we will miss our child in Heaven.

So having a designated month where it's socially acceptable to share about grief in general, our child in particular and whatever wisdom we've gained through hard experience is welcome relief!

It was several years into this journey before I realized there was such a thing as a Bereaved Parent Month. When I did, I was eager to let other bereaved parents know about it so they, too, could feel free to post, write, tweet or shout about their own experience.

I write everyday about grief.

It's my ministry and my calling. But for those who feel constrained by social pressure to keep their feelings to themselves, this month is for you. Take advantage of it.

Truth is, grief will impact every person at some point in life and we are doing them a favor by modeling what it looks like to steward our sorrow well.

Share.

Share your memories, share your triumphs, share your sadness, share your wisdom.

Let others know they are not alone.

*If you are on Facebook and looking for a safe, closed community of bereaved parents, you can find the one I host here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/947404501987955