“Who is a grieving parent?”

Do they look different from one who is not?
Is the pain visible in the smile that is sometimes forced….
Behind the eyes on the verge of tears?
Can you see the aging the body feels from the trauma of loss?
They still picture themselves from before the loss and are sometimes caught off guard at the reflection looking back from the mirror.

Who is a grieving parent?
They are the ones who ignore a baby shower or birthday invitation one day because the pain is still to raw.
And the next, celebrate the small milestones, for they know the preciousness..

Who is a grieving parent?
They are the ones held hostage by the dates on a calendar and unexpected triggers.
And the ones who will always pause for sunsets , butterflies, dragonflies, and sweet signs from above.
They are the ones who treasure the friends who didn’t walk away.

Who is a grieving parent?
They can experience an array of emotions on any given day.
They wish tears would come when numbness covers them.
They scream at God one moment and cling to him the next.
They didn’t expect their faith to grow so much from the most important unanswered prayer she ever spoke.

Who is a grieving parent?
They are as complicated as the grief they carry.

Do not judge the grieving parent. They come in many forms.
They are breathing, but dying.
May look young, but inside have become ancient.
Smiles, cleans, works, talks, they are but are not, all at once.
They are here , but part of them is elsewhere for eternity.”

Author unknown