New Year

 The changing of a new year can be just another difficult day in the life of a bereaved parent. Yet another year without your child or children. Yet another bittersweet time. Again, while others are excited about the new possibilities the coming year has to offer, we think of the distance yet another year brings from the memory of our children.  Another year, to "act" healed, to "act" over it.

May the coming year bring peace to your heart.

 New Year’s Wishes for Bereaved Parents 
(from a speech by former TCF National President, Joe Rousseau)

To the newly bereaved:  We wish you patience – patience with yourselves in the painful weeks,
months, and even years ahead.

To the bereaved sibling:  We wish for you and your parents a new understanding of each other’s
needs and the beginnings of good communication.

To those who are single parents:  We wish you the inner resources we know you will need to
cope, often being alone with your loss.

To those experiencing marital difficulties after the death of a child: We wish you a special
willingness and ability to communicate with each other.

To those of you who have suffered the death of more than one child:  We wish you the
endurance you will need to fight your way back to a meaningful life once again.

To those of you who have experienced the death of an only child or of all of your
children:  We offer you our eternal gratitude for serving as such an inspiration to the rest of
us.

To those of you who are plagued with guilt:  We wish you the reassurance that you did the
very best you could under the circumstances, and that your child knew that.

To those of you who are deeply depressed:  We wish you the first steps out of the “valley of
the shadow.”

To all of the fathers and those of you unable to cry:  We wish you healing tears and the
ability to express your grief.

To all of you who are exhausted from grieving:  We wish you the strength to face just one
more hour, just one more day.

To all the others with special needs that we have not mentioned:  We wish you the
understanding you need and the assurance that you are loved.