We welcomed 3 newly bereaved parents to our meeting. The reading by Angela Miller – Newly Bereaved Parents’ was very suitable and discussion took place how to survive the first few weeks and months let alone the rest of the life without the child.

Parents shared their experience of the first few weeks after their child death and how life is/was a blur. Even getting out of bed every morning is a huge effort and often the only thing a parent can manage. Parents encouraged each other that it is ok to do very little – and this phase could last a long time. Parents said that eventually energy will come back and face people and life again. However each parent will take their own time to reach this point. Parents shared how different a mother and father grieve and often the father takes on the caring role despite his own grief. There is no answer how to survive the death of a child but parents found it helpful to listen and support each other.

One couple whose child died a few years ago brought a beautiful quilt along to show all of us. The material used came from their son’s clothes. It was a moving experience and parents found it inspiring as most of the time the decision of what to do with the child’s clothes is a very difficult one.

The  meeting was concluded by a poem for ‘A Child of Mine’

‘We each have to find our own way through our grief – Just as each child is special and different, so are each parent, and our pain when our child dies is unique to us, but we do not have to walk the path alone’. 

Our next meeting will be 19th of July from 7.30 to 9.30pm. Any bereaved parent is welcome.

We meet at The Peartree Centre

1 Chadds Lane, Peartree Bridge, MK6 3EB