I’ve experienced the great horror of losing a parent as a child and as an adult. Both create immense pain and sadness. My mom and I attended an in-person support group after the loss of my dad when I was just 10 years old. The group created necessary feelings of support at a time when I felt really isolated. I want to create those feelings of community for those grieving the loss of their parents, as they raise their kids.
This is the idea of Grateful While Grieving, the book. Hearing the heartbreak and joy in my story will hopefully create a connection for the reader. What makes Grateful While Grieving even stronger? Five other passionate parents’ stories are written and shared in this book as well. I’ve found five other parents who live with these joint feelings of anger and contentment, all with the same intention- to support others who have lost their parents.
We will all continue to grieve, and hopefully we can get through the thick of it together. Connecting with my five contributors has already helped me immensely. Feeling supported and understood can help anyone feel less alone in their grief.
The feelings of isolation and loneliness are vicious. They coincide with feelings of happiness and contentment surrounding our spouses and kids. The concept of duality is crucial in the grief journey. This concept is discussed many times throughout Grateful While Grieving.
While time and distance may restrict us from creating an in-person support group, there are other ways to feel connected. I hope my book, with all six of our stories, can create feelings of connection for you.
Love, Marcy
Dear Hopeful Reader….
I am working every day to get Grateful While Grieving signed with a publisher. Please check back to this site for book updates. The Grateful While Grieving book is our group’s first step to create support and connection for those who have lost their parents and are raising kids of their own. Our goal is to publish a collection of our stories of love, loss and living with both.
“Grandparents are a security blanket,” According to Susan Newman, author of Little Things Mean a Lot: Creating Happy Memories with Your Grandchildren, cited in US News and World Reports. Newman continues “If there’s somebody they trust and know is always on their side, that’s a huge emotional plus for the child. They have somebody around who’s comforting, who hugs them and sits with them and reads with them.” Unlike most parents, she says, grandparents have “infinite patience” – and often, more time to spare.
“Having a living parent or parents plays a key role in the life of a child. The benefits of parental transfers often persist throughout the life course, even after the child has become an adult, with parents potentially offering financial, emotional, and practical support to their children.”
Zachary Scherer and Rose Kreider from the United States Census Bureau