Just Keep Going
By Sarah Nielsen “My parents didn’t raise me to be a drug addict and alcoholic,” I heard our son say to a group of ...
UncategorizedOn Coming Alive Stories of Rising from the Ashes and Coming Alive
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#oncomingalive
Through the Grace of God
By Kelly Albers Prisms, splinters pieced together in an indelible design. Past and present artfully brought to life. Intertwined with sharp and subtle edges, ...
Abuse Anxiety Depression Rape Sexual Abuse
Because Redemption
By Tiffany Nardoni I never thought I’d be here. On the other side. Five years ago, I was content, joyful, blissfully enjoying my three ...
Death of a Child
Love Falling From the Sky
By Benjamin McCartney It’s almost six months after saying goodbye to my son, and there are still days that feel like the sky is falling. The ...
Death of a Child
Expecto Patronum
By Kelley Legler I’ll begin where it turned around. My husband. He is my light. He saw me deep in the deathly hallows where ...
Anxiety Depression
Surviving and Living as a Bereaved Mother
By Katie Teutsch On February 29, 2016, my husband Kyle and I became forever changed. We entered unexpectedly and unwillingly into the “I can’t ...
Death of a Child
The Land of the Living
By Andrea Fifield “There is a land of the living and the land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, ...
Death of a Child
A Hard, Good Life
By Claire Margit I thought my bone marrow transplant (BMT) five years ago was as close to death’s door as I could get– I ...
Addiction
Perspective Over Perfection
By Sarah Longfield Caleb was an unexpected gift. He snuck into our life as quietly and peacefully as he left it. My husband and ...
Death of a Child
More Than Just Numbers
By Elle Armstrong Fifty percent. July twenty-third. Twenty-four milliliters per hour. Quarter liter of oxygen. Two hundred and twenty-nine days. Numbers have their way ...
Death of a Child Stories
Here I Am, Coming Alive
By Emma Livings There was nothing quite like an out-of-town football game to get those small town cheerleaders abuzz. The bus was all pompoms, ...
Sexual Abuse Stories
Growth Through Gratitude
By Chris Jones I remember sitting at the cemetery with my family as we remembered my son Mitch one summer evening. The air was ...
Death of a Child Stories
All You Need to do is This
By Munchie Morgan My sister was a heroin addict. While she wasn’t your stereotypical, stuff-of-crime-dramas, visibly strung out drug addict, her demons were real ...
Addiction Death of a Sibling Stories Suicide
To Honor Him
By Dari Nowkhah What was I going to do? I walked into my house and saw two children that needed me. I looked to ...
Death of a Child Stories
Adjusting My Lens: Shifting Out of Survival and Back Into Life
By Christine Suhan I dreamt of him last night. It’s been a while since he’s haunted my sleep but time hasn’t erased any piece ...
Abuse Addiction Depression Rape Suicide
The Privilege of Surviving
By Franchesca Cox They tried telling me this would happen. They assured me, as if they held a crystal ball. They promised, conjured, and ...
Death of a Child Stories
Healing After Sexual Abuse
By Kate* I was eight years old when the abuse began. My abuser was married to my oldest sister, who was many years older ...
Abuse Sexual Abuse Stories
Fight for the Light
By Jenifer Ruby Living in chronic pain would prove to be nothing compared to the pain of losing my daughter. Strength. That is my ...
Death of a Child Divorce Illness Stories
Finding Life and Love After Child Loss
By Stacey Skrysak The pain of losing a child is unimaginable. There are no words that could accurately explain what it’s like to go ...
Death of a Child Stories
With Her
By Sarah Bamford February 4, 2014, was one of the happiest days on my life. It was the day we found out that our ...
Death of a Child Stories
There is Hope
By Faith Sims It isn’t for the moment you are struck that you need courage, but for that long uphill climb back to sanity ...
Death of a Child Stories Suicide
On Coming Alive in the Face of Depression
By Kimberly Zapata I’ve only seen 3:30 A.M. a handful of times: at the end of a long night of hair holding and tear ...
Depression Stories
My Mother Loved Me, But Not Enough to Stay
By Alison Chrun It never occurred to me as an eight-year-old girl that I could lose my mother at such a young age. It ...
Abandoment Addiction Stories
I Chose to Live
By Courtney Fitzgerald The first life altering news came on December 17, 2012. The moment that socked me in the stomach and changed my ...
Death of a Spouse Stories
At Least, Finding Beauty in the Shards
By Victoria Strong My mother was 34 when she was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. It was aggressive and doubled in size in ...
Death of a Child Death of a Loved One Stories
The Colors of Her
By Mandy Hitchcock About a year after my seventeen-month-old daughter Hudson died from a sudden bacterial infection, I began to notice these birds singing ...
Death of a Child Stories
The Scars that Remind Me I’m Still Alive
By Kristin Shaw At one time, I prayed for him, my first husband, to love me. I tried to love him hard enough to ...
Abuse Divorce Domestic Violence Stories
Let Love and Life Win
By Sarah Shin For thirty something years of my life, I was spared from knowing deep, earth-shattering loss. Then I lost my mother and ...
Death of a Child Death of a Loved One Stories
To Hope Again
By Sarah Damaska There’s a birthday coming up in just a few days and as I look out the window, daydreaming about her ...
Death of a Child Stories
Running to Heal
By Jessica Wilson I pull my sweatshirt over my head, wrap my scarf 3 times around my neck and face, and slip my mittens ...
Death of a Child Stories
It Only Took a Spark
By Ayla Carey There are moments of that day that were a blur and some that were not. I was 36 weeks pregnant with ...
Death of a Child Stories
To Be a Voice
By Dorlinda Steele Poison. You were a gift to us that December morning, perfect and peaceful and beautiful. Room 18 ICU. You were a ...
Addiction Death of a Child Stories
I Chose to Grow
By Angela Trent I began my grief journey at the age of 26 when I lost my mom to liver cancer. It was my ...
Death of a Loved One Death of a Sibling Depression
Thriving
By Kendra Merrill Imagine you’re standing on a mountain, overlooking the rivers and valleys below. The trees go on for miles, and the rays ...
Death of a Child Divorce
Keep Living
By Carrie Lahman You’ll just keep living until you are alive again. –Call the Midwife When my mom answered, I couldn’t stop crying. “I ...
Depression
Choose to Live
By Lisa Fleming These days, I consider life to be an opportunity. It’s a gift we are all given with an unknown expiration date, ...
Illness Stories
Still Hope
By Trish Thomas Our moments have great power and possibility. They can discourage us, destroy us, deliver us, or drive us. My most defining ...
Death of a Child Stories
On Fear and Coming Alive
By Caity Loepfe It felt like a death sentence. After years of listening to the fighting, feeling responsible for protecting my younger sisters, and ...
Anxiety Stories
My Driving Force
By Tracy Flitcraft Simple acts. Simple acts, like putting on mascara in the morning, to start my day, can be excruciating. Listening to the ...
Death of a Child Stories
Finding Strength Through Infertility
By Amy K Infertility is pain. Endometriosis is my living hell, and cysts are the M&M’S on my poisoned ice cream. Since my diagnosis, ...
Infertility Stories
The Revenge of a Good Life
By Tamara Gabriel Looking back on where I am today, I realize that every step in my life somehow prepared me for my worst ...
Abuse Addiction Death of a Child Death of a Loved One Depression Divorce Illness Stories
From Pieces to Promise: Becoming Whole After Abandonment
By Michelle Madrid-Branch I entered the world as a “matter” for the country of England to settle. In simpler terms, I was the product ...
Abandoment Stories
Becoming a Gift
By Justine Brooks Froelker Sitting over tea in a dimly lit coffee shop she asks, “How often do you think of them?” I shift ...
Death of a Child Infertility Stories
Surviving and Mending After Trauma: I Am Not Damaged Goods
By K.C. I was raped when I was twenty-one, in my junior year of college. If you met me you would have no idea ...
Rape Sexual Abuse Stories
Thank You for Not Judging Me
By Lorene Holizki The love of my life, Kalei Jasmine Mahealani Holizki was killed instantly in a head on car crash on August 20, 2001. ...
Death of a Child Stories
Ready to Fly
By Jennifer Massoni Pardini We lost you nearly four years ago on a Saturday in June. “He’s beautiful,” my nurse said as she placed ...
Death of a Child Stories
My Gift to Her
By Sherri Melnychuk When I used to lie in bed with Ava in the hospital, I used to watch her sleep. I would think all ...
Death of a Child Stories
Still Very Much Alive
By Melissa Van Wey Fumbling in the dark to reach the bathroom sink at 6AM is always a relentless task. Forcing myself out from under the ...
Death of a Child Stories
Light After Loss
By Dave Roberts I drove to Albany, New York recently to present a workshop to a group of individuals interested in exploring different perspectives ...
Death of a Child Stories
On Being Able to Come Alive
By Ramee Larson When my third child was born with a rare and terminal brain disease, I experienced a year of anticipatory grief that ...
Death of a Child Divorce Stories
Permission to Feel
By Aly Voigt Life fell into place as I had always pictured. Married at the young age of 23 to the one who had ...
Death of a Child Death of a Loved One Divorce Stories
Let Your Heart Shine
By Monica Green Survival in the world we live in is a challenge for anyone. We each have our own journey to live. How ...
Death of a Child Stories
Seeds of Growth
By Oana Papaconstantinou In July 2014 our precious baby son, Georgie, aged only five and a half months, died of acute myeloid leukemia. In the ...
Death of a Child Stories
Shaped, Not Defined
By Nathalie Himmelrich I became a member of the club of bereaved parents in September, 2011, when I gave birth to my identical twin ...
Death of a Child Stories Suicide
Six Breaths
By Megan Coker My daughter Eden took six deep breaths in her 40 minute life. She took more, but there were six full, visible, ...
Death of a Child Stories
Walking by Faith
By Valery Rule Our third son, Andrew Bryan Rule, was born sleeping at nearly 29 weeks. This wasn’t our first experience with loss. My ...
Death of a Child Stories
Our Stories Don’t End with Grief; They Begin
By Patcine McAnaul Grief is not discriminatory. It’s like an ocean, it is always there, but it is not until the tide comes in that ...
Death of a Child Stories
Worthy
By Diana Stone I stood in front of a group of Zimbabweans, three churches combined into one for our arrival. They sat – on ...
Death of a Child Stories
Taking a Chance on the Truth
By Katherine Hill Actual spontaneous laughter. It was my first moment of pure, unadulterated, guttural loud and goofy laughter since Graysen died. I can’t ...
Death of a Child Stories
Breathe
By Kristina Smith “Breathe.” I didn’t want her to stop. The doctors and nurses and respiratory therapists in the ER – they all worked ...
Death of a Child Stories
To Simply Love
By Sasha Stine “You are extraordinary. You will do amazing things. I will fight for you.” These are things I am told when I am ...
Death of a Child Stories
Wrap Me Warm
By Laura Rundell “When you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away. You’re not alone, stop holding on, and just be held.” ...
Death of a Child Stories
Loving Life After Losing My Most Important One
By Lindsey Henke I don’t believe we are meant to walk this earth with the most important people in our lives for very long. ...
Death of a Child Stories
Faith Through the Fire
By Holly Colonna “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this ...
Death of a Child Stories
Rising Up
By Michelle Volpe One Sunday in church, someone asked me how I was doing. The only thing I could really realistically compare my grief ...
Death of a Child Stories
A New Way of Being
By Tom Zuba My 18-month-old daughter Erin died suddenly in 1990. My 43-year-old wife Trici died equally as suddenly on New Year’s Day 1999. ...
Death of a Child Death of a Spouse Stories
My Everything
By Lindsay Grady On May 8, 2015, my precious Eli made his grand entrance into this world. He stole my heart from the moment ...
Death of a Child Stories
His Power to Heal
By Bryan Dailey I can’t believe it’s been almost nine years since my wife Tracy and I lost our daughter Emma at birth. There ...
Death of a Child Stories
What Grief Could Not Steal
By Becky L McCoy When I was in college, I spent a lot of time thinking about all of the things I was willing ...
Death of a Loved One Death of a Spouse Stories
What Healing Is
By Bethany St. Marie I remember the first time I felt twinges of healing and life after Judah. They were unfamiliar; unknown. They didn’t ...
Death of a Child Stories
Beauty from Ashes
By Tracy Dailey “I am honored and humbled to be here. I have no formal training, no education in ministry, leadership or public speaking. ...
Death of a Child Stories
Using Memories to Come Alive
By Shayna Raphael April 24, 2015, was supposed to be a wonderful day. I took the day off work to spend some one-on-one time ...
Death of a Child Stories
Stepping Forward
By Rachel George Sometimes it’s the small talk that kills me. Those little questions from people in the grocery store line, bank tellers, waitresses, ...
Death of a Child Stories
There Can Be Beauty After the Broken
By Natalie Manchester The sunrise is such a beautiful reminder that we have been given a chance at a new day and a new ...
Death of a Child Stories
She is My Reason
By Jessica Meyers July 4th. 12:01 AM. A simple shake of the head from a crying nurse was all it took for my world ...
Death of a Child
When Brokenness Shapes You
By Sara Langford On February 24, 2015, I walked into an ordinary midwife appointment, expecting to breeze through as we had for the previous nine ...
Death of a Child Stories
Seeing Canaan
By Joey Papa On October 23, 2015, I started a video blog series to share with anyone who would listen the lessons I had ...
Death of a Child Stories
You’ll Find Them
By Angela Ledet There are so many former versions of myself that I barely recognize now. The teenager, the girl learning to become a ...
Death of a Child Stories
I am Living
By Michelle Villalobos January 31, 2014, is the day my heart shattered. It’s the day everything I thought I knew disintegrated right in front ...
Death of a Child Stories
Forever Changed
By Meghan Fien You’re forever changed. It’s not supposed to be this way, but you’re going to make it. My son Lawson passed away ...
Death of a Child Stories
The Strongest Boy I Know
By Sarah Bonelli When the path of life leads you to the one you want to spend the rest of your life with, you ...
Death of a Child Stories
I Keep On
By Amelia Kowalisyn There’s a song by NF called I Keep On, and every time I hear the lyrics, they just seem to resonate with my ...
Death of a Child Death of a Loved One Death of a Sibling Stories
Purpose
By Ashley Sullenger It was a hot summer day, and my husband and I were happily walking out of the movie theatre, enjoying the ...
Death of a Child Stories
His Broken Heart Mended Mine
By Jenn Hinkle The moment I learned my son would die, I felt like I had the wind knocked out of me so hard ...
Death of a Child Stories
The Good He Brings
By Ady Dorsett Hayden’s life earth-side was short but impactful nonetheless. After five painful, yet empowering hours of labor, he entered this world screaming ...
Death of a Child Stories
In Full Color
By Sam George I sat in the movie theatre crying, trying to hold it together so that I wasn’t sobbing (there were other people ...
Death of a Child Stories
On Falling Apart to Come Alive
By Ginny Limer Onward I drove, hopping curbs, white knuckles gripping the steering wheel, accelerating to fifty miles an hour, heading just three streets ...
Death of a Child Stories
Choosing the Light
By Lauren Johnson “If I told you my story, you would hear HOPE, that wouldn’t let go…” Before she was born, I had always ...
Death of a Child Stories
The Ashes or the Energy
By Paula Stephens What does Batman, Spiderman, Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Americas Most Wanted (with John Walsh), and (soon to be) you, have ...
Death of a Child Stories
Take These Broken Wings and Learn to Fly
By Sara Gonzalez Our journey with our son, Monroe Mirlo, was anything but straightforward even before he arrived on November 3, 2013. We got ...
Death of a Child Stories
Still My Miracle
By Kristin Hernandez My husband and I got married in 2011 and immediately began to discuss starting a family. In my youthful innocence, I ...
Death of a Child Stories
The Gift of Hope
By Angela Cartwright Hope is a precious gift to those who have lived in the darkness. On November 10, 2010, the light of hope ...
Addiction Death of a Loved One Death of a Spouse Stories
Woven
By Jessica Watson Eight years ago our daughter Hadley passed away. She was one of triplets, all three vying to leave my stomach long ...
Death of a Child Stories
The Choice
By Jessi Snapp Most of my life I have known what it was to suffer. To live in the quicksand that slowly drags you ...
Abuse Death of a Child Stories
Survived
By Tracie Loux I’ll never forget seeing this line in Mattie’s obituary: “He is survived by father, John, mother, Tracie, brother and sister-in-law, Nick and ...
Death of a Child Stories
Take Heart
By Dana Ludvik I had always been afraid to hold babies. At family events, I dreaded the moment when someone inevitably asked, “Don’t you ...
Death of a Child Stories
Letting the Broken Pieces Crumble Away
By Allison Gauvin There are few things I am truly skilled with. Arguing is one of my best and worst talents. I will twist ...
Death of a Child Stories
I Will Always Choose You
By Michaela Evanow Once upon a time, I had a little girl. Her smile and curls and doe-brown eyes were a sight to behold. ...
Death of a Child Stories
His Promises
By John Ennis, Lt. Colonel in the United States Marine Corps Hopeless, broken, defeated…these are the words that I would use to describe myself as ...
Death of a Child Stories
Choosing Life After Death
By Emily Garibaldi In my 30 short years on this earth, being Lucy’s mom is the single most defining aspect of my existence and ...
Death of a Child Stories
Choosing Hope
By Lindsey Moreno Suffering, tragedy, pain, and tears; I am far too familiar with these. My heart knows ache and longing in a way ...
Death of a Child Stories
Mothering My Four Boys
By Jessica Lindberg The oldest of five children, mothering is in my blood. Caring for, calming, arranging, protecting, nurturing all come very naturally to ...
Death of a Child Stories
Choosing Joy
By Rebecca Tillmann My husband and I were living the dream. He was a successful pharmacist, and I loved being a paramedic and had ...
Death of a Child Stories
Self-Care and Mental Health
By Danielle Oliveira Our investment in ourselves represents self-worth, and the denial of such subsequently mirrors the belief of something much deeper and much more ...
Depression Stories
My Anchor for Hope
By Laura Barr The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do is say goodbye to my son. To have him taken from my arms ...
Death of a Child Stories
How do you Plan to Live Your Life?
By Joe Kowalisyn On November 5th 2014, my wife and I lost our daughter Emma at 23 days old. For me this was unbearable, and ...
Death of a Child Depression Stories
Do Not Sit in the Darkness for too Long
By Christina Wiggins I could feel the darkness inching toward me. The heaviness was becoming too much to bear. I did not want to ...
Death of a Child Stories
To Thrive, Not Just Survive
By Lori Mullins Ennis “It is therefore not true that we become less through loss—unless we allow the loss to make us less, grinding ...
Death of a Child Stories
Acknowledgement and the Possibility of Hope
By Anna Whiston-Donaldson My house felt foreign to me. The horrified face in the mirror unrecognizable. How could I be wearing my familiar blue ...
Death of a Child Stories
Painting Beauty From the Ashes
By MaryEllen Dennis After my 2010 divorce from a physically and emotionally abusive man, I turned to alcohol to try to escape the emotional ...
Abuse Addiction Death of a Child Stories
Growing through Grief
By Tracey Gibb I fell in love with my son Joshua while I still carried him inside me. I wrote to him daily, weekly ...
Death of a Child Stories
My Son, My Teacher
By Catina Byrum Faith. Hope. Love. These may be common words that most of us see everyday, and we know what they mean, but ...
Death of a Child Stories
A Beautiful Mitzvah
By Jennifer Nowkhah My beloved grandmother started every morning the same way, sitting in her favorite chair next to a large window watching a ...
Death of a Child Stories
It is Love
By Charlotte Moyler My story is one of a peace that stands stark against the circumstances of my life and of a hope that ...
Death of a Child Stories Suicide
Opening My Heart to Pain and Healing
By Kara Barner On June 19, 2015, my world was turned upside down. God called my sweet Brecklyn Ava home, the second born of ...
Death of a Child Stories
You Were My Tomorrow
By Shannon Shpak I dreamed of you last night. The sunlight streamed down on your face, your arms held wide and your head thrown ...
Death of a Child Stories
Specks of Gold Amongst the Ashes
By Janelle Hey This new ‘normal’ that was thrust on us had us reeling. It seemed incomprehensible that we had become that family. All that we thought was safe and ...
Death of a Child Stories
Free
By Lexi Behrndt The needle pierced my skin, the dots of ink collecting into form, an inscription of the word I could not let ...
Abuse Death of a Child Divorce Stories
How?
By Diana Quinones How do you forget the images of your father withering away? How do you go on from grieving the death of ...
Death of a Child Death of a Loved One Stories
Hold on to Hope
By Kristen Marshall It has been 290 days since Ryder left us; 290 days that I have survived as a bereaved mother, but not ...
Death of a Child Stories
A Mother’s Love Knows No Boundaries
By Kelsey Wensley January 18th, 2016. It has been 18 months to the day since I last laid eyes on my sweet miracle, Ruby ...
Death of a Child Stories
Advocacy
By Trey and Nicole Flynn What is it like to lose a child? Silly question answered in two words. “The struggles.” It’s an understatement ...
Death of a Child Stories
Coming out of the Fire
By Kaelinne Daniel At 28 weeks pregnant, my husband and I learned our daughter was very sick with a congenital heart defect. We were ...
Death of a Child Stories
Everything I Do, I Do it For Drew
By Amber Whetham The thought of coming alive again seems far-fetched when you’ve lost a child. It may even seem impossible. I completely get that. ...
Death of a Child Stories
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