Parents’ Grief: Daily Meditations for Healing After the Death of a Child

This book is for every parent who has ever lost a child.We have joined a legion of broken-hearted men and women around the world who have suffered the death of a son/daughter. Our worst fear has been realized. We wonder where to turn for help. I hope this book becomes a valuable resource for you. Grieving the death of our child (ren) will be a lifelong journey. Complete healing is unlikely, but we can ease some of our pain by reaching out to others who have suffered this loss before us. We can learn what helped them survive. This journey will not be easy, but I hope these words become helpful companions.This book was born from my own loss, the death of my twenty-seven year old son, Nathaniel, and his friend, Nick Lightfoot, in a boating accident on Little Traverse Bay in Lake Michigan on April 25, 2010. On a beautiful Sunday afternoon two young, vibrant men were suddenly gone. Life as I had known it ceased to exist. I was thrown into a world of chaos and grief unlike anything I had ever experienced. I was a traveler in a foreign land without familiar landmarks. Fortunately, family and friends reached out to me and kept me from sinking into oblivion. And they encouraged me to reach back to them. You can do the same.You are not alone. Other grieving parents can walk beside you. They will show you the way if you let them. Each meditation addresses concerns helpful to the healing process and our relationships with our partners. Be patient. Do not blame each other. Be tolerant of angry outbursts; they are normal. Be gentle, kind, and practice endless forgiveness. May these meditations instill hope in your heart and ease your suffering.