Today is his earthly birthday. He would have been 25 years old, a quarter of a century. A pivotal age when family and careers are beginning. I can’t help but wonder where he would be in life. Married? College graduate? Children? Preaching? Those are questions that will never be answered. Just musings that I will … Continue reading Celebrating Birthdays Without Him
I have struggled and struggled over what to say in this post. A dream that I have had since I was an eight-year-old little girl is becoming reality today, and I am experiencing so many emotions. I am so excited today to fulfill this lifelong goal, and that has caused me immense guilt. There have … Continue reading A Race Well-Lived
I treasure the time that I get to spend with other grieving parents. That sounds odd, right? I wouldn’t have chosen this path had there been an option. None of us would have. Yet here we are. So we travel it together. There is just something about spending time with someone who is on the … Continue reading It’s No Secret
Michael and I recently attended a retreat for bereaved parents. Before Joshua died, I couldn’t imagine attending something that sounded so depressing. In fact, most people would expect that such a weekend would be miserable. It is far from it. Is it a difficult weekend? Yes. Even somewhat awkward at least for the first few … Continue reading Crying during the Sad Parts
Christmas is not what it used to be. There is no pitter patter of tiny feet in our home anymore. Which means there are no plates of cookies to fill for Santa and his reindeer, no stories to be read on Christmas Eve, and no one to coax to bed early. We are in a … Continue reading The Ghosts of Christmases Past
Throughout our grief journey, we have been blessed by so many who have reached out to help. While many of these suggestions may seem small to you, for those who are grieving, any one of these says, “I love you. You are not alone in this journey. Let me share the burden.” 1. … Continue reading Helping the Hurting
Grief is hard. It’s messy. It’s not a nice, neat list of stages. It’s more like a ball of yarn knotted together with multiple stages happening all at the same time. it’s an individual journey, and everyone navigates it differently. My husband and I lost the same son, and we have grieved differently. My grandmother … Continue reading Moving F.O.R.W.A.R.D. with Grief (Part 1)
With Eyes on the Cross 