Finding Your Way After Your Child Dies

Finding Your Way After Your Child Dies offers parents a comforting way to grieve whenever the need arises, whether occasioned by the passing of a school bus or a glance at a family portrait.

The authors’ sensitive reflections on the various occasions that bring grief to the surface include events that may happen daily, weekly, annually, or perhaps only once. Fifty-two themes-ranging from the weekly allowance, to birthdays, to graduation-help parents acknowledge their loss, express their feelings associated with the change, and recognize the experience as an opportunity for grief, as well as for growth.

A consistent and familiar format makes it easier to enter into these moments:
Reflection: Provides an overview of the specific theme.
Ritual: Offers suggestions to explore the theme.
Reading: Includes a scripture passage or verse for reflection on the theme.
Response: Offers a prayer that summarizes the theme.

Finding Your Way After Your Child Dies is intended for parents who have experienced the death of a child, whether due to natural causes, accident, or miscarriage. The themes may also be easily adapted for use in small and large group settings such as a support group, a prayer service, or a family ministry session. Readers will be reminded that God is with us in every circumstance of life, and that God’s love is a love that survives any loss.