Sunflowers & Red Feathers

Living the Taboo Life  The subject of death often is not something you generally bring up with just anyone, but most of the time when you do, it’s something other people can empathize with - the loss of a grandparent, a pet, or even to a tragedy such as cancer or other terminal illness. However, as a bereaved parent, not many people you come across on a daily basis can empathize with our struggle. Bringing up the fact that our child died is a taboo topic. When you become a bereaved parent, there is nothing that is normal anymore. You can be having a really rough day in your grief but to share that with a perfect stranger or even someone you know is kind of an awkward thing to do. It's not that you are awkward or that talking about your child is awkward; it's just the fact that it's uncomfortable for people that do not know how to relate. Children aren't supposed to die. It messes with our normal life cycle/timeline. That is what makes it awkward and a taboo topic.

Let's Get Real: We're Really Not Ok  Part 1 Mental Health Some days we are just talking - having a conversation about our boys and how are really coping and getting through our days. That’s when our next topic pops up. It’s usually something that we are currently dealing with that brings something to the surface that we know you can all relate to. We still struggle on a daily basis. We are just human and our grief is just as raw as yours is. This is us - just talking about how our grief affects our mental health. 

 TCF Boise | Live Series: Finding the Joy In Christmas December 2020 Christmas time is supposed to be filled with joy, laughter, family, and gifts. After you lose a child, none of that seems to matter anymore. Things that you once did as a family make you sad, traditions don’t feel the same with someone missing, and pictures of Christmases past are eerie and sad reminders of how things used to be. How can we find joy amongst all the sadness and pain? Article: https://www.tcf.org.uk/content/coping-with-christmas/ Questions you may be asking yourself: Do we decorate the tree? Do we send a Christmas card or take a family picture without our child? Use an old photo? Go to a family party or stay home? If you have young children still, do you keep up with the “normal” Christmas spirit? Tips for navigating through the Christmas parties/events/family Plan to have no plan.  Tell people you don’t know how you will feel on the actual day and you may or not be there. Don’t let anyone tell you what