To the Newly Bereaved
When your child has died, suddenly it seems like all meaning has been drained from your life. When you wake in the morning, it’s difficult to get out of bed, much less live a “normal” life. All that was right with the world now seems wrong and you’re wondering when, or if, you’ll ever feel better.
We’ve been there ourselves and understand some of the pain you are feeling right now. We know that you are trying to find your way in a bewildering experience for which no one can truly be prepared. You need not walk alone.
Living with Profound Loss
Being Compassionate Towards Yourself
When you’re newly bereaved, putting one foot in front of the other can seem impossible, much less surviving this loss. You will never be the same person you were before your child died. It may be hard to believe now, but in time and with the hard work of grieving (and there’s no way around it), you will one day think about the good memories of when your child lived rather than the bad memories of how your child died. You will even smile and, yes, laugh again someday—as hard to believe.
When the newly bereaved come to a meeting of The Compassionate Friends, you will listen and learn from others who are further down the grief road than you. They will have made it through that first birthday, first death anniversary, first holiday, and so many other firsts that you have not yet reached. You will learn coping skills from other bereaved parents who, like you, never thought they’d survive. There are no strangers at TCF meetings—only friends you have not yet met.
Join us on the third Mondays of the month to be with people who understand what you are going through.