Coping With the Death of a Child
Comfort for grieving parents
Tomorrow is Jacob’s yahrzeit and I'm preparing for another Purim without my son. Why did he leave this world close to the happiest day on the Jewish calendar? It’s four years since he suddenly passed away at age 24 of heart failure. As always, I have immense trouble dealing with his passing, and more so... Continue Reading →
My son’s yahrzeit is coming up again. Yes, again. It comes around every year. It’s hard to believe that it will be four years since he passed away. Our family lost a wonderful son, brother, and uncle. In honor of his yahrzeit, I want to share some thoughts about him. When I lost my adult child,... Continue Reading →
First of all, I want to share the wonderful news that my husband and I are grandparents of twin boys born to Jacob’s brother Adam and his wife on the fourth night of Chanukah. In addition to the joy we feel over the birth of these little guys, it’s also bittersweet in that our son... Continue Reading →
Shabbat is a beautiful day, an island in time, in which I relax and connect with G-d. I enjoy the special foods, prayers, and having time to learn. I like preparing for Shabbat. I enjoy the smell of a hot crockpot filled with cholent on Friday afternoon. However, Shabbat is also emotionally hard for me.... Continue Reading →
As I mentioned in the post Therapy for Traumatic Grief, finding the right grief therapist can be challenging. Sometimes it takes working with a few before the right one comes along. After I lost my child, finally found a good therapist who taught me several methods to help cope with loss. In the words of... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
I've suffered child loss for a few years now, and I still vividly remember the day my son died. He passed away in the morning, and for several hours after he died, I couldn’t cry. The tears just wouldn’t come. I thought something must be wrong with me. Why can’t I cry? After that, a... 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 →
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 →
Furniture Is Not Needed In The Next World In my last post, The 4 Hardest Things I Had To Do After My Son Passed Away, I spoke about how very sad I was about clearing out my son’s room after he left this world for the next. There were clothes and furniture that had to... Continue Reading →
It's been more than a year since my son passed away. Of all the things that had to get done after his burial, I still remember the following tasks as taking the most out of me emotionally as well as physically. 1. Getting a Headstone For My Son Putting up a headstone for a child's... Continue Reading →
Coping With the Death of a Child 