Dearest Cora, It’s been five years today since we held your body; your soul already residing in Heaven. It feels like a whole lifetime has passed since you’ve been gone. Your dad and I are completely different people after you. … Continue reading
This blog post was written specifically with family and friends of those grieving the loss of a baby in mind, just in time for the approaching holidays. I know you feel helpless to ease the pain and sometimes have no … Continue reading
“Grief is the last act of love we can give to those we loved. Where there is deep grief, there was great love.” Since Layla, we’ve visited and laughed with friends for hours. I found myself in the grocery store … Continue reading
Since our last blog post, we had a meeting with Carolina Donor Services about what Layla qualified to donate. We found out she qualified to donate her heart, kidneys, pancreas and lungs. All of these organs would have gone to … Continue reading
I am currently 29 weeks pregnant. The day I delivered Cora, she was 29 weeks 5 days old. This thought is with me every day at work; it’s with me every time I go a few hours without feeling her … Continue reading
We officially have our third girl in the Shrader house! We had our anatomy scan yesterday and nothing has changed with the prognosis; the baby still has a fatal condition. Nothing has changed with the way we will approach her … Continue reading
I truly can’t believe I’m about to write this again. We have devastating news regarding our current pregnancy. Last Wednesday, I had an official ultrasound and the doctor was able to confirm my fears. Our baby is going to die. … Continue reading
To those who gave birth this year to their first child—we celebrate with you
To those who lost a child this year – we mourn with you
To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stains – we appreciate you
To those who experienced loss this year through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away—we mourn with you
To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods, tears, and disappointment – we walk with you. Forgive us when we say foolish things. We don’t mean to make this harder than it is.
To those who are foster moms, mentor moms, and spiritual moms – we need you
To those who have warm and close relationships with your children – we celebrate with you
To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your children – we sit with you
To those who lost their mothers this year – we grieve with you
To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother – we acknowledge your experience
To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall testing of motherhood – we are better for having you in our midst
To those who have aborted children, we remember them and you on this day
To those who are single and long to be married and mothering your own children, we mourn that life has not turned out the way you longed for it to be
To those who step-parent, we walk with you on these complex paths
To those who envisioned lavishing love on grandchildren, yet that dream is not to be, we grieve with you
To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year – we grieve and rejoice with you
And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising –we anticipate with you
This Mother’s Day, we walk with you. Mothering is not for the faint of heart and we have real warriors in our midst. We remember you.
This weekend is Mother’s Day. It is a day honoring some of the most important women in our lives, letting them know our appreciation for their everyday job. It can also be a day filled with grief. Today’s blog is about celebrating mothers of all kinds; mothers who have children to celebrate with them, ones who lost children and some who only dream for children. Before my own mother passed, I loved this holiday because my mom was my best friend. Who doesn’t like honoring and doing something special for their best friend? She was the most important person in my life and has made me who I am today. This weekend is my 7th Mother’s Day without her. It is an extremely hard day for me and my siblings. Just like her birthday and anniversary of her death, it is a constant reminder that she is no longer with us. I’ve met several people who have lost their mother and have expressed the same emotions regarding Mother’s Day. Today is a day of grief for those children who lost mothers.
I try not to focus on the sadness; but to focus on all the wonderful women in my life who have made an impact in my life after my mom’s death. These women include my grandmother, several aunts and my mother-in-law. These women have taken me under their wing and taken care of me. They always reassure me no one will ever replace her. This Mother’s Day is very different for me however, because this is my first Mother’s Day as a mom. I have mixed emotions because I am trying to celebrate every day I have with my daughter, though I know there is a very good possibility I will not spend Mother’s Day with her next year. I want to do what every mom-to-be would be doing; registering for baby things, setting up a nursery, buying cute onesies, etc. I am putting this on hold because the one thing I’m sure of, surgeries or not, Cora will not come home with us from the hospital for a long time, if at all. I am in a unique situation because of the information I have about Cora’s future and the uncertainty that hangs over it. Because of this, I want to shed a light on some other “unique situations” that are usually not recognized on this holiday. I want to learn how to be a light to the women who have encountered heartbreak while trying to conceive/adopt. People treat mothers with such reverent honor, that some women who have had trouble conceiving or lost babies might feel lost or irreverent on Mother’s Day.
This post is not meant to offend any of the mothers I know. I just want to highlight the other side to this weekend and how we can help our sisters heal. Our society, and Christian society in particular, puts a huge emphasis on motherhood. God’s design and purpose for marriage is the blessing of children. Infertility and childlessness are along the same position as widows and orphans in Biblical times. I think this is more a societal problem than a Godly problem. God doesn’t consider infertility or childlessness as a curse. When couples try to have children and cannot, then the biblical call to trust God means following His leading. It may mean pursuing medical treatment. Or building your family through adoption. Or choosing to live without children to serve the Church. Childlessness can be the doorway to great spiritual fruitfulness of a different kind. For me, I’ve found that this increases my faith in Jesus alone, to bless me in whatever way He deems for His kingdom. As women, we should stop trying to define ourselves by our roles, such as mother, daughter, sister, etc and start defining ourselves in God’s image of us. He envisions us as daughters, precious to His kingdom.
Personally, children have been a huge part of my family planning before I even met Josh. I chose the career I did because of the hours and the flexibility for family life. I think because of societal pressure coupled with the pressure I put upon myself, not being a mother at all would be devastating for me. During a radical series at our church, “All-In”, Pastor JD Greear told us to think about the most important people/goals in your life. Now imagine we lost the person/dream (essentially: how much are we placing happiness on other things/people outside of Christ). During this series, Josh asked me if I would be ok without having any children in my lifetime; was I making having children an idol? I can’t speak for most women, but I have this innate drive and passion to have kids of my own/adopt children. I absolutely love caring for others’ kids but it’s just not the same as having your own. I had to tell myself last year that I may not be able to have or adopt children in this life. If I am making family an idol, God definitely has the right not to bless me with this particular desire. Why would He encourage my idolatry? Making children an idol, I am putting this need for children ahead of my contentment in Jesus. When we started trying to get pregnant, I prepared my heart subconsciously for what I feared most. This was just a couple of months before I got pregnant with Cora.
Miscarriages occur in 20% of all pregnancies. Many women hide their miscarriages from everyone. Miscarriages and stillbirths happen more often than people realize. Honestly, I have not put myself in these women’s shoes until recently. 4 years as a ultrasound tech later, I am more aware of the multitude of women going through miscarriages, difficult pregnancies and infertility. I have scanned several patients facing miscarriage; some who keep trying even though they’ve had 10 miscarriages in their prime “childbearing” age. I have witnessed a few women have “uncomplicated” pregnancies until the last month and then have a fetal demise (loss in the 3rd trimester) or stillbirth for an unknown reason(s). I have seen women, younger than 30, get that chromosome test back unexpectedly confirming Down’s Syndrome, Trisomy 18, or other issues that are usually reserved for women in their later years of fertility. I believe these women can feel left out during the celebration. A result of my knowledge of pregnancy complications, getting pregnant was scary to both Josh and I. I see the worst of the worst at my clinic, abnormalities most people see once in a lifetime. Because of this blog, I have had several women confide in me their own experiences with miscarriages or complications. Some of these women were friends and I had no idea of their pain. It’s so important to remember that you are not alone. God gave us the church and shared experiences to share one each other’s burdens. This is the reason I will never ask a pregnant stranger about their pregnancy unless they bring it up, because you just never know what that person is going through. Some women told me they thought they were alone in their grief when this happened to them, but you’re not alone. Our adversary would have us believe that we’re alone, lost in our grief, but God has given a different message.
Unfortunately, I think this is where the church, too often, fails these women. Churches should recognize there are women who are going through these experiences and have support in place for these women. I think it’d incredibly beneficial for pastors and the church to have special events, speakers, sermons that touch on this issue. Some churches recognize mothers by having them stand in their seats or pass out flowers/corsages. What does it say to those women who have experienced loss? Do they stand? What recognition for your struggle is there, when you’ve told no one. It’s very hard to get away from this commercialism of Mother’s Day, even in church. The church body should recognize this and at least say something briefly on the subject of loss. The women reading this blog, need to stop shying away from awkward conversations and simply be there for these women. Some of the women don’t even know how to grieve their loss. They may not have known the gender of their baby at the time of loss. There might not be a name or any momento from the birth. Then, Mother’s Day rolls around and no one says anything to them, including me. I don’t say “I’m thinking about you today” or give a hug of reassurance. In my experience with this pregnancy with Cora and my mom’s passing, I believe not saying anything at all to acknowledge a loss is worse than saying something that might sound stupid. Not recognizing a loss of a child is can tell that mother that no one cares or remembers. I don’t want Mother’s Day to pass again without acknowledging these special lives. Because of Cora, I want to make a conscious effort on Mother’s day to recognize the women I know who have experienced loss of a child or the loss of the promise of a child due to infertility. I can’t even imagine how it must feel to pick up the pregnancy test, time and time again, and watch it come out negative. Wanting something so much, it is literally painful trying to conceive. Some of my patients get that joy taken from them in pregnancy after pregnancy. They know what the heart beat and fetal pole are supposed to look like on ultrasound, because they have had so many and they can tell me when the heart’s not beating before I can mention it. I usually just respond with a lame “I’m so sorry.” As a friend or family member, a simple card, a facebook message, a phone call, can do so much to help someone get through the unknown. A prayer, selfless and heart felt, can tap into a grace filled God and renew the spirit of one suffering.
For me personally, I want this Mother’s Day to be one of celebration. Cora is alive and moving like crazy. I want to always remember this Mother’s Day. I am a mom for the first time ever. Next year will be a totally different story. For this weekend, I am celebrating the fact I am and always will be Cora’s mom. I may never see her grow up into a woman, but she has taught Josh and I and so many others so much already and I am so honored to carry her.
I want to share some of the inspiration for this blog I got from articles I researched on the subject. This is a blog post from a women who experienced her first Mother’s Day after a loss of a child: http://desiringvirtue.com/2012/05/when-mothers-day-is-painful/. This next article is written on the church’s treatment of Mother’s Day and the wide range of mothers we should celebrate (http://www.messymiddle.com/2012/05/10/an-open-letter-to-pastors-a-non-mom-speaks-about-mothers-day/). The excerpt at the beginning of the post is from this article.
“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 12:15
In addition to celebrating the amazing little girl and being a mom myself, I celebrate the one to whom I owe my love of children: my mom. No one will ever replace her. Everything I want to be as a mother, I learned from her.
In Him,
Rebecca Shrader
A very dear friend sent me Casey Chappell’s blog of her son Asher because her story is very similar to mine (complicated pregnancy with a poor prognosis and A LOT of uncertainty). You can read Asher’s story here: http://www.caseychappell.com/my-entrance-into-motherhood-and-the-journey-thus-far/
I came across her blog post about grief and how to help others grieve. Her entire blog is helping me through this situation, which is one of the most difficult of my life. I don’t know how to handle it myself, much less help other people handle being around me. I have had many different reactions to the pregnancy, but most end up saying things such as “I don’t know what to say/do or I’m so sorry/will be praying for you”. All of these reactions are completely normal and don’t affect me negatively in the least. I have had a lot of people ask me if they can bring us meals or do anything for us. I honestly am at a loss because I don’t know how to tell anyone to help. Josh and I will probably need the most help when the baby comes as he/she will spend many months in the hospital for surgeries if he/she survives.
I have already been through a time period of grief with my mom’s passing and am a “seasoned veteran” on how to deal with other people’s guilt or miscommunication. I have had some people say/do slightly inappropriate things trying to help. Heck, I’ve certainly done it when other people are grieving. It’s just hard to know how to help.
I have had some amazing people helping me with my pregnancy and how to tackle my own feelings head on. I have a friend that texts me scripture every single day without fail. She doesn’t pretend to know the best scripture to fit every situation, but she is consistent and unknowingly helps me get through the day. I have incredible coworkers who have helped me through some incredibly hard days surrounded by joy/heartache of other people’s pregnancies while going through my own (for people who don’t know, I work in a high-risk pregnancy center performing OB ultrasounds). My coworkers gave me a Celtic mother/child necklace that I wear almost every day and it helps me feel like a “normal” mother going through a pregnancy. My sister-in-law told me when I first told her the pregnancy complications that no matter what I will always be a mother to this child and I have a right to celebrate this baby’s life. At this point in my pregnancy when I first got the bad news, I almost felt that I shouldn’t celebrate this life inside me because I don’t know how many days I have with him/her. I have started a prayer wall at my house with the cards I have gotten from family and friends. Knowing there are so many people praying for this little life gives me much comfort.
I have really awesome days where I feel like I can tackle anything. I also have days where I feel like I’m going to fall apart. These moments come upon me suddenly and I can’t predict them. My friends and family will just have to forgive random outbursts of crying, anger or silence when I am around amidst the joy I emit. Some events are harder on me than others: baby showers, family gatherings, work, etc. I know Josh has some of these feelings, even if he’s not willing to admit them publicly, so please don’t forget him. Men are definitely forgotten in the difficult pregnancies because people focus on the women and babies. I have heard this from many friends who have shared with me their miscarriage/loss experiences.
The point I’m making here is that no matter what situation someone is going through with any type of grief, this blog post from Casey will help friends and family get them through the rough times. It’s best to try to be understanding that not everyone grieves the same way. Whether you know or not, what you say or do can help someone grieving have a better day just by the simplest act of kindness. I hope to be a better friend when I know someone else is grieving to let them know they are not forgotten. I want to post some of my favorite tips from the blog below. You can read the full blog post here: http://www.caseychappell.com/reflections-on-my-journey-of-grief-helping-others-grieve-well/
Ways to socially help a grieving friend:
- Offer them concrete times when you can get together with them and concrete things you can do together. Getting together to just talkmight be just what ends up happening but the thought of going to do just that can be overwhelming for the hurting heart.
- I’ve had a few people who just happened to be at the right place at the right time and they were the “lucky ones” that I fell apart on. Those are moments I’ll treasure forever and I think they are often divinely planned from God. But just because someone needs you at a given time doesn’t mean they will in the future in that same way. In other words, you may bond during that one moment or crying spell or talk but that may just be your moment together and it may never happen again. Don’t think that you need to recreate moments or times together for continued bonding or grieving. Just be willing to be used of God when He plans those moments and remember them. Just like I have to thank Him for that unexpected person He put in my path and will be blessed because of that moment of loving care for my heart.
- As for you BFF’s out there, Let them turn you down or tell you no many times. Don’t give up on them. It may not be the right time but that time may come and you want to be there when it does. I had a close friend who called me and called me and left messages and emails and for weeks I didn’t respond because I didn’t have the strength to at first and she totally understood and said that each time she called. But when the time was right I was ready to spend time with her and it was so good knowing she was there waiting for me when I was ready!
- If a phone message doesn’t get returned, try email. That can be something a person can respond to when the time is right and she has something to say or has processed your email. And if the email doesn’t get returned don’t give up just email again and remind them… I don’t mind being reminded… seriously. Sometimes my phone or email inbox is completely overwhelming so it ends up paralyzing me and I don’t deal with the emails I need to write or phone calls I need to make and sometimes I just forget altogether. When I look at the way I’ve neglected some, then the thought of catching up seems too much… ughh.. it drives me crazy. I drive me crazy. maybe this will help you understand more.
- At first especially, be consistent. Don’t assume everyone is jumping in to be there at first or that you wouldn’t be needed even if everyone was. Those first days and weeks are essential to be a part of if you at all can. One friend came over every wednesday morning (which was her free morning of the week and I know it was such a sacrifice) and she was very faithful and then after a while she and I both knew she needed to do some things for her family during that time and I remember crying the first wednesday she couldn’t come. But she did call and for weeks did so every wednesday. But her consistency in the process helped me know one day from the other in the beginning… because at least I knew that was wednesday and she and I and a cinnabon roll would get time together. Thanks Becks!
- Send a card. It was so helpful to have actual notes of support and love waiting in our mailbox each day for weeks. But now, it’s back to bills and magazines. Now, that’s just life. I know that. But for example a few weeks ago I got a card from a good friend at church who had a baby near the time I did and she just shared how she felt as though she grieved with me from a distance and that she wanted me to know that she was there even though she wasn’t physically there. That meant the world to me. And it was still timely and nurturing. ***** now, I’m not writing all this to say everyone needs to write me or love me a certain way I’m just helping process this while some of it is really fresh so that we might love better and I will remember this for others who will come into my life hurting!
- Admit your awkwardness with the situation or admit your false guilt. some of the most precious moments came when new mothers would cry and tell me they feel guilty for having healthy babies or healthy grandbabies when I didn’t. We both knew that there was nothing either of us could do or not do to deserve healthy or not healthy babies but that it was in God’s hands. But just being that transparent was so good for the friendship and for the freedom to bring their babies around me knowing I knew what they were feeling.
- Know that certain gifts will mean so much even if you never know it. The gifts that were given to asher during his life that were ones given expecting him to live are so precious to me! The ones that were more memorbilia in nature are a little harder to love because they can scream death, even though I know they will grow precious to me over time. So, those of you who have friends will difficult pregnancies or have been given grim diagnosis… give them something that screams life and normalicy. Buy clothes the child may never wear. Buy stuffed animals the child may never hold. Make quilts that the child may never need the warmth of. Those are so precious to me to this day!
- It will be the strangest acts of kindness that mean the most. I remember a few close friends and family asking to see Asher in his homegoing box and that was such a strange request to me right then..(especially being my first experience with death and burial) but today those people are endeared in my heart SO much,! a fatherly kiss on the head, saying they love us. You will have moments with your hurting friend and you may not think it was much or that those moments need to keep happening but God used you in a flash of time to help them heal and provide comfort and love. sometimes that has to be enough for right now.
- As a blog writer…. Please don’t ever tell someone that their story or blog posts are just too sad for you and that because of that you can’t go there to read what they have written. I mean, seriously. My life… is too sad for YOU? I want to say “try being me”. I know it takes energy to be a part of someones life and even to look into a window of their pain and I of all people know that sometimes we don’t have the energy to handle a big cry-fest every day. But turn off the music if you have to. Read it just once a week. Or if you know you are going to be seeing them take a few minutes and read what they wrote most recently. Stay connected that way if they have put themselves out there. My closest friends are the ones who read my hearts cry on here week after week. Some strangely enough are women I’ve never even met.
- Try not to tell them or think you know what they can or can’t handle in their life right now. In some areas I am ready to take on the world and in a sense we did when we brought Zoe into our family. She’s been amazing for me and has given me something concrete to focus on and she gives so much back!! But as mentioned before other areas, which might seem like nothing compared to adopting a baby might prove too much to handle at this time. It’s strange. But hurting hearts are looking to survive and they will know what they can handle or not, or they will soon let you know if they can’t. Just be there for them as they welcome or buffer the things coming into their worlds.
But here are some of my favorite ways practically that people have served and loved on me by doing:
- They Celebrated Life! This first one is for those who find a friend in a situation where they don’t know if they will be experiencing losing a child but have been presented with the possible reality of it. CELEBRATE LIFE!!!! So, those of you who have friends with difficult pregnancies or have been given grim diagnosis… give them something that screams life and normalicy. Buy clothes the child may never wear. Buy stuffed animals the child may never hold. Make quilts that the child may never need the warmth of. Those are so precious to me to this day! Have showers! Don’t ignore the difficulty and even include a time of prayer at that shower. I can’t tell you how blessed those times of prayer were and still I know are seeing God answer and fulfill even months later. If you don’t know what to say, that’s okay just be there. God will often have women who have experienced loss or who have the gift of encouragement there as well and let them say words that God wants the hurting mommy to be to hear. Friends have different gifts and just let God use your gifts where they fit best in this time of hardship.
- They came to the hospital. That was probably really hard for some because what do you say? what do you bring? there is no baby to see and awe over. It can even be downright awkward. But COME anyway! The first few days I don’t remember much. But I know there were friends there to talk and laugh with Dan and even relieve family members from having to stay all the time. Some might say not to stay long, but I say just play it by ear. If you’re needed and conversation is flowing stay! but if they seem tired and preoccupied and decisions are being made then love on them for just a bit.
- They prepared for my coming home. Oh, those dear friends who cleaned my house that week for me. We left in a tizzy when going to the hospital so I know it was a mess. But it was sparkling when I got home and the front entrance was decorated with bright yellow mums! I love mums in a special way now because I had a cheerful front door to go into those first few weeks!
- They brought meals. This was a little hard for me especially after having the recent experience of finding out what it’s like when there is a new baby in the home. But while it was such a blessing not to have to cook or figure out what to have for dinner, it was difficult because there was no baby to show off when people dropped by and sometimes I wanted to talk and sometimes I didn’t. Mostly I didn’t. Also, Dan and I had requested healthy meals as we were trying to eat better.. but we found out really fast we wanted comfort foods as well! It was nice to have a balance of casseroles that were so amazing and fresh foods that were great for us. Here is a MUST READ when it comes to bringing meals to friends!
- They got me out of doing dishes! One thing that a friend did was bring us paper goods. Paper plates, plastic cups, napkins. SO HELPFUL! because I did not want to be doing lots of dishes.
- They helped start my day off right! My mom made meals and froze them for us and we are still eating them. She also bought breakfast stuff for us. I had weeks where I had yogurt parfaits every morning (that I made in the plastic cups) yogurt, granola, and frozen berries, so easy and good for you. She kept those three items stocked for me for a few weeks. I never would have thought to make those or buy that stuff but she did and it was very helpful to start off my day right.
- They just came over! Okay, I know I just said I wanted to be left alone. But if you are a Best Friend of someone and feel like they can be honest with you about their needs, Then go over all the time!! Every night for a while three of my best friends (who just happen to live next door) came over… And often due to the generosity of the meal makers we were able to share dinner with them as well. The good thing about going over often is that you’ll be there in moments when they need to cry and fall apart and you’ll be there when they just want to talk or vent and you’ll be there when they laugh and need something to watch. (because this was a regular happening it wasn’t inappropriate when they wanted us to see a funny you-tube video they had seen that day. those moments were so needed!)
- They put Scripture before me! A few friends wrote out scripture verses out and made them decorative and gave them to me to put up around the house. Those are still verses I see daily and are still claiming their promises in my life.
- They did the little things that nobody thinks of. From returning videos to getting me stamps for letters to seeing if I needed anything at walmart, friends included all the little things that needed done into their daily errands! It was so helpful!!!
- They took care of my dog! Having a dog during this time was so healing because he was so sensitive and loyal to my side those weeks of being at home. He knew something was wrong but just stayed close to me. I had a friend send him a care package. (thanks sara) Yes, I know, maybe that’s over the top to some of you. but I hadn’t had the chance to get him something to play/chew on in some time. And then add to that friends who wanted to walk him and get him out of the house and give him attention. (kids coming over during that time was great for him) It was a blessing to have them care for a dog who was in a way caring for me
- They wrote thank you notes! this has never been my strong point and leave it to family to pick up where you lack. My family showed their gratefulness on my behalf to those who served us endlessly and without much notice by writing them cards. I often have wondered how I’m ever going to personally thank everyone who helped us during this time and please know that my heart has captured you in special places and I know some many of you deserve a hand written note from my heart and I hope that I have the opportunity in the months/years to come to tell each of you how much you mean to me. But if I don’t know that you are treasured in my heart. Know that!
- They remembered Asher. During special day or even just random days they would call or email and just in tears say they were missing him then. Oh beloved that meant the world to me… still does. Sometimes they sent/gave gifts that had his name on it or his birth information displayed for me to remember. Memorial gifts were so special. I have pieces of jewelry that whenever I wear I remember him and it’s strangely healing.
- They cared for my well being. Even though I had no baby to care for I still found it hard to get a shower and fix my hair. The last thing I was thinking about was getting a haircut or having my nails look nice. But ladies, it’s all connected! I was taken to get my nails done right before Asher’s service. what a blur but that was an element I didn’t have to think about. I was treated to a haircut and afterwards I wanted to fix my hair and at least try to look nice. It was helpful in the process of starting to feel a little more normal. I’ve had friends who have had miscarriages and this element is really important. Giving them a basket of body washes and beauty supplies I know blesses during this time of just bodily pain and discomfort and allows you to be a part of this very personal and often private pain and loss in their life.
- They loved my husband and let him grieve! I asked him the other day if he talks about asher much at work and he just really said how God has blessed him with co-workers who aren’t afraid to talk about Asher and his birth and death. He said that the people God has put in his life there have been so encouraging and just have been his friends through this. A lot of my best friends are some of his closest friends as well and they really loved him well and laughed with him! I think all the funny you-tube videos did him the most good. As a teacher, nothing makes him more proud than to see growth and God in his students. They have showed so much maturity through this and have gone the extra mile in taking care of their Mr.Chappell. Thanks guys! I know Dan is blessed to have you in his classes. Thanks NRCA parents, for letting your children go to the memorial service knowing that you might have difficult questions to answer afterwards.
- They took me away. At six weeks some of my closest friends decided I needed to get away and planned a trip to Washington D.C. and made it clear I was to go with them! I agreed to go and honestly up to about an hour before I was in constant flip flopping over if I was going to really go or not. I kept telling Dan I’m not going to go… but I should go… I just can’t… but I want to… ughh! But I did go. And I’m so glad I did. It was beautiful and it was an easy trip that didn’t overwork my body but still made me move and get out!
- They gave me books and movies! Movies and books were a great mental stimulus and getaway for me and I was given some great books that were great reads but also encouraging. many of them are in the side panel of the blog in book recommendations. And some gave us movie gift cards that let Dan and I get out of the house and escape into worlds of spies, romance, heroes, triumph and so many more. It was helpful for us both!
As you can see there are SO MANY ways to help and serve and love! These are just some of the countless ways that I have been blessed by those in my life.
I have already been blessed by so many. Thank you to those that have been there for me and will continue to be. This blog post was just a general helpful tool for ANYONE going through grief and how their friends can help. Everyone has been asking me “how can I help, anything I can do?” This is my best explanation to those questions.
In Him,
The Shraders
