I lost my son, Ben, in 2008. He was 27 when he died by suicide. Being in the Edina Coalition’s Child Loss group with others who had lost children was my life line. When I lost another son in 2013, this time to addiction, the bereaved parents I had met through the coalition surrounded me with love and comfort. I would not have made it without that support.
In grief group I found that it was OK to cry for what I had lost.
But it was also OK to smile for what I once had.
The death of our child was devastating. The most helpful thing we did was to attend the Edina Coalition for Grief Support . Sharing our grief, fears, confusion and questions with other parents who were dealing with many of the same issues and receiving their support and understanding, as well as interacting with parents who had lived with their loss for a longer time, was invaluable to us.
I started coming to this grief group after I lost my mother, and it helped me find myself again.
Those of us in our grief support group have been told that the task ahead for us could be described as a “new journey.” To prepare for any trip we wish to take, why not consult with someone who has already taken the trip. With the dedicated speakers who make themselves available to us to address areas of our concern, we are able to get comforting help in our own journey.
After losing my mother, The Edina Grief Support Coalition was the lifeline which kept me afloat. It helped me wend my way through the maze we call personal loss, and anchored me when the storm was at its fiercest.