Did you know that the month of July is Bereaved Parents Awareness Month? I didn’t. So let’s talk about what this means and what bereaved parents hope will happen.
Believe that our loss is real no matter how young our child was.
Extend your love as we learn to move forward.
Recognize that we all grieve differently and no one way is the “right way.”
Extinguish the false beliefs about loss.
Awareness that you will share this month and what it means with others.
Validation for what we are going through and what we have lost.
Embrace us.
Don’t forget us or the child(ren) we are missing.
It really doesn’t matter how long ago our loss journey began. We could have learned today that our baby has died or our adult child could have died many years ago. Know that we are thinking about this child and always will. You will not hurt us by saying their name. We will love you for it.
I didn’t realize how important this was until my friend Charley died. He died in 2008 and every year on May 1st, I post his picture on Facebook and leave a message for his family. I want them to know I am thinking of him too. This was the day he died and I remember.
Every time I do this, they tell me that this means more than I will ever know. When I lost my daughter Ruby Josephine in 2010, when someone remembers her, I love them for it. I may shed a tear but this is a happy tear. It’s a tear that others remember her and it’s not just me. I feel the same way when someone remembers Gus (our third son who died and was born via miscarriage).
Bereaved parents want you to know it’s okay to talk with us and say their name. We want to share. We want to know you were thinking of our child too.
– Breaking the silence of First Trimester Miscarriage