A Video of Hope

I have written before about a group called griefHaven (www.griefhaven.org). They are a non-profit organization whose purpose is

"(1) to provide hope and support to any parent who loses a child; (2) to support siblings, family members, and friends impacted by the death of a child; (3) to educate the public about the loss of a child, letting them know how they can support parents in rebuilding their lives; (4) to educate and collaborate with professionals who deal with the death of a child; and, (5) to provide ways for parents to honor their child."

I ordered their DVD called "Portraits of Hope" shortly after Katie passed away. It was very helpful at the time, very real, raw, and encouraging at the same time. Parents whose children have died from cancer, suicide, accident, stillbirth, gunshot, murder and so on speak candidly about how it felt in the early days of their grief process, and how they are surviving and finding meaning in their new lives. Professional chaplains, counselors and pastors also speak about the realities of grieving for a child.

I've only watched it once or twice, but today, as I was getting ready to send it to a friend, I decided to watch it again, to see if it had the same impact and relevance that I remembered from before. It does. I recommend it to anyone who is bereaved from the death of a child, to family and friends of those grieving, to pastors, caregivers, etc. If you click on the link to their website, you can order a copy - it costs only $15.00, and is well worth it.