Welcome!
Welcome to The Loss of A Parent. This blog has been designed to help explore all that goes with losing a parent: the death, the funeral, wondering what happens next, being around friends, going back to school, feelings of guilt, overwhelming sadness and loneliness, changes in responsibilities at home, feeling as if nobody really understands what you are going through and just plain anger.
Three years ago I lost my mother to lung cancer. It is the toughest loss I have ever experienced in my life…I deeply miss her morning phone calls, listening to her childhood stories, and sipping coffee with her every weekend at her kitchen table. My mother was an amazing artist, and I often spent my time as a child watching her create beautiful scenes on a blank canvas. She magically transformed the blobs of paint on her palette into spectacular splashes of color that would later become grand mountains or golden wheat fields. Over the last few years I have taken time to really reflect on the relationship I had with my mother…it was certainly filled with ups and downs, as most relationships are. However, I came to realize that the beauty she created on canvas was a small reflection of what existed within her…and what exists within me.
As I continue to work my way through learning to live my life without my own mother, I began to wonder how this type of loss affects the teens that I work with? Who’s there to help them through the grieving process? Teens are often left to deal with their grief on their own, and they do not always know who they can turn to. Did you know that teens grieve differently than adults do, and it could take up to three years before any signs of grieving occur? By this time, society expects that these kids have “gotten over” the loss of their parent and have moved on with their lives. The loss of a parent is one of the most life changing events in one’s life, especially for a teen. It can dramatically alter who you are and who you become.
My hope is that by coming to this site you will be able to find your own way back from your grief, in your own time and on your own terms. I hope that this journey allows you to enjoy your teenage years and create a life filled with abundance and joy…reflecting the greatness that is already within you. I look forward to having you as a part of our community.