Coping With the Death of a Child
Comfort for grieving parents
Grief comes in many forms for different people. Those who have lost a sibling, spouse, or parent experience grief differently from those who suffer grief due to child loss. Mental health professionals categorize grief into several types. One of these types is prolonged grief, a grief experienced by most bereaved parents. This article discusses the... Continue Reading →
Intrusive and negative thoughts affect grieving parents a lot. These thoughts come at random times and seem to have a life of their own. Meditation is a very useful activity to deal these thoughts either by eliminating them, or directing them appropriately. I’ve found meditation helps me control painful thoughts and calms me down. What... Continue Reading →
I’m a member of an exclusive club. It’s called the child loss club. I didn't ask to join it. The dues are extremely high. Sometimes the dues are so high I wonder how I’ll get through another month. I’ve tried reaching out to the membership office (aka Heaven) but no one answers, so I can’t... Continue Reading →
What Can I Say To a Parent Losing a Child Through Violence? Parents are burying their children in Uvalde, Texas. Although I have also lost a child, I can’t even imagine what I could say to parents are suffering child loss through violence. There are just no words. Judaism teaches that everything has a reason.... Continue Reading →
Living In An Intense Stage Of Grief It’s been a bit more than two years since my son passed away at age 24. Whereas the intense sadness, anger, and depression have subsided, at times I still find myself agitated and miserable. These moments are usually the result of a physical or emotional trigger like being... Continue Reading →
Types of Therapy, Pros and Cons In my post Who Can I talk To About Child Loss, I discussed talking with a grief therapist, a support group, one’s friends, and G-d to find relief from the emotional turmoil one finds oneself after the death of a child. Now I’ll discuss the pros and cons of... Continue Reading →
In my post ‘Is It OK To Be Angry At G-d’, I spoke about misdirected anger at family, friends, and strangers. I was angry at G-d for taking away by beloved son and wondered if I had the right to be angry with Him. It’s been almost two years since Jacob passed away, and at... Continue Reading →
Bereaved Parents Have Different Needs For Different Situations Everyone is different as to how, when, and if, they will accept comfort over losing a child. The how, where, and when of each loss is different for each situation. A parent mourning the death of a child after a long illness may require a different sort... Continue Reading →
I’m in the second year of my son’s passing and I feel like I’m still in a dream. In this horrible dream, Jacob passed away. He’s no longer with me. Problem is, I can’t wake up from this dream. Every morning I awaken and a small piece of me hopes he’s still here, upstairs in... Continue Reading →
Recently I was contacted by an old acquaintance. We live on opposite ends of the country, so we don't see each other at all. In fact, we really don't have any contact with one another except maybe once or twice a year via phone or text. On this occasion, she caught me at a bad... Continue Reading →
A Staggering Example of Large Scale Child Loss The tragedy at Mt. Meron in Israel, where scores of people died, is another sad reminder that Moshiach isn’t here yet. When I first heard what happened there, I was shocked and saddened. Some time later, I read online short bios and photos of those who died.... Continue Reading →
Celebrating Shabbat With My Son Before Child Loss We had a pleasant and happy family Shabbat table before my son passed away. Before I lost my child, the Friday night Shabbat meal was always a special time for our family. When the kids were small, we looked forward to discussing the Torah portion of the... Continue Reading →
Coping With the Death of a Child 