As we approach the holiday season, our grief reminds us that our lives have forever changed and that our loved one will forever be missing from the table. In learning how to live without them and in learning our new selves, we must also redefine the holidays. We discuss creating new traditions and/or modifying old traditions as well as suggestions to honor and remember our children/siblings during this time of joy and sorrow. Happy Holiday Season from our family to yours.

As we, and other family members, hit milestones in life, new triggers emerge. Again, we must learn how to live with our grief and learn how to process new emotions. It's the continuous journey of learning how to live a life without our child/sibling. Only those in our club can understand it- a different and new way of living. We keep their memories alive, so they are always with us during life's milestones.

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a holiday that celebrates, honors, and remembers our loved ones who have passed on to the land of the dead. It is a joyous occasion in which altars are created using pictures and items such as your loved one's favorite books, drinks, food, etc. to tell their story for generations to come. It is a beautiful tradition that continues their legacy because we will never let them be forgotten, so let's celebrate them!

Having anxieties is another side effect of grief, so recognizing it and what triggers it is a part of the healing process. Aside from learning how to live without your child/sibling, there are many side effects of their death that we are forced to live with. Understanding this is key to our survival.

Sometimes during our healing journey, we have to remove ourselves from relationships in which a person may not understand your new self post the death of our child/sibling. We're forced to grieve those losses as well, but don't always write them all off because if that person is special in your life, then there's hope of reconnecting.

This week, I open up about falling off the wagon while in depression rehab, and the struggle of getting back on. Missing your child/sibling physically hurts, and the pain is just as intense whether it's been 1 day or 20+ years. The pain doesn't change, and learning how to live with it is an ongoing process. Don't be discouraged if you fall of the wagon and need to be in your feelings. Go through the emotions to learn and get back on the wagon knowing that you are STRONGER. You are in this club, and you are NOT alone!

Learn more about The S0ciety of Compassionate Friends and all the resources they provide for families after the death of a child, sibling, or grandchild. Join the 27th Annual Worldwide Candle Lighting Memorial Service on 12/10/23 and honor your child/sibling/grandchild in a beautiful mass candle lighting around the globe. They will forever be remembered! In this episode, we also discuss the Autumn blues and how the seasons changing may trigger our depression rehab. We understand, and we uplift you.

This week, we have our first guest-my dad. He shares his story and his perspective to give us an idea of what a dad (or head of household role) goes through and how it may be different from the other parent or the siblings. He helps us to understand the importance of being able to lean on "the rock" within the family dynamics.

The final stage (so far anyway) of the path of beginning to heal after the death of a child/sibling is Continuing The Legacy. We are now just transitioning into this new stage after 12 years of working through the first 4 stages. We did the work, and we want to carry you as you do the work to get here! This is where we dedicate ourselves to making sure that they are NEVER forgotten.

Stage 4 in the path to healing after the death of a child or sibling is about rebuilding a life that doesn't involve them here in the physical world. This new reality includes learning the new you as you navigate through the world with a different perspective on life. Everything has changed, and so have you. We also share our experience in what we call "depression rehab" and understanding what triggers it.

This episode we introduce stage 3 Support Systems and discuss all of the people and resources that were our lifeline during the MOST difficult time in our lives. We strongly believe in support systems being vital in the grieving/healing process. We hope that we can help you find what support systems work for you!

In this episode, we discuss the immediate aftermath of the death of a child/sibling. We talk about what it looks and feels like the very next day and what we call the "Monday after the funeral". Family and Friends have to go back to their daily lives, and you're left alone in the depths of your grief. You are not alone in this journey.

This episode tells the story of how my brother died as well as the story of how we found out. We call this Stage 1 in the path to healing after the death of a child/sibling. Being able to tell the story was the first step in our survival. We are here when you are ready to share your story.

We are a mother and daughter podcast sharing our experience in the death of a child/sibling. Through our journey, we've created 5 stages to the path of healing after such tremendous loss.