Last week, Dave and I attended a memorial service for bereaved parents. This beautiful little service took place in my town, but services like these are held all over the world. I encourage every reader to find the service nearest you!

And for the professionals reading this: please pass this information onto your patients who have lost children – at any age, for any reason. Thank you.

The words read out at the service were so perfect: so ‘moving’ and beautiful. About 30 other people there, each of us given the chance to honour the loss of our children (whether during pregnancy, as infants, or any time after their birth). I’ve learned that a parent’s grief is much the same, regardless of how old their child was when he or she passed away. Loss is loss. Grief is grief.

We made some new friends there too – people in our own community who had suffered such loss. Why even our neighbours around the corner! Until that day, we had no idea that the Thompsons had lost a child (some years before we moved into the neighbourhood) And until last week, they had no idea that we had lost a little one to miscarriage a few years back.

We’re becoming closer friends with the Thompsons, now that the silent grief has been broken. We’re gaining a real sense of community – of not being alone anymore. This is so important to our healing.

I really encourage all readers to visit your local city council, and ask them about this kind of service. May you find peace and comfort there, like I did.