‘Capture your grief’ day 4: support circles

‘Hugs are like boomerangs, you get it back right away.’ Jacob is in a group hug in this photo with his nanna, brother and cousins, baring his beautiful smile. Sometimes a hug is all we need from a family member, friend or even a stranger with a similar story to let us know they are with us and they ‘get’ where I’m coming from. Sometimes it’s having the opportunity to talk over a well deserved cuppa or watching a new blockbuster movie at the pictures to take you away from the situation for just a brief moment – anything to take your mind off the sadness and heartache of loss. As the first anniversary of Jacob’s passing approaches in 3 days time I look back and think how did I get here, to this point and I honestly can say that it is because of my ‘support circles.’

My support circles –

• family, friends and co-workers have provided the most valued guided and helping hands to healing just by physically being there.
• the Facebook family – supporting us by communicating and leaving comments and making connections through cyberspace letting us know that ‘I am here for you’ as I felt the need to vent *
• the inspirational healers that I will be forever grateful for sharing their beautiful words and talents to help bereaved parents – Francesca Cox ‘facetsofgrief’ who inspired me to write my thoughts down as a way to help heal and my blog ‘wieckling’ was born. With her creative guidance giving us ideas of how to deal with so many emotions through many creative outlets has been wonderfully helpful. – Lexi Behrndt – ‘scribbles and crumbs’ her words I have quoted in my blogs as they speak out to you and tug at the heartstrings. – Beryl Ayn Young’s photographic online course ‘illuminate’ – gave me a new love of photography looking at nature and ornate objects to find beauty in such emotionally charged times of grief. I used Jacob’s camera throughout the 4 week course. – CarlyMarie ProjectHeal. Her absolutely beautiful art works as she writes your children’s names in the sand on Christian’s beach and the projects that connects bereaved parents on creative levels like the Day of Hope Prayer Flag Project and the current ‘Capture Your Grief project for this year which we are now on day 4.
• There are other support circles that I have tapped into as well and I can’t recommend them enough. The Compassionate Friends and Redkite are grief support services that have been valuable in the ways they connect you other parents going through a similar situation as yourself.

Times have changed when talking about children that have passed. There’s no stigma attached to speaking up about losing a child nowadays. Our children should be celebrated and spoken about and shared with the world. The loss of a infant/child shouldn’t be a taboo subject and swept under the carpet. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for my ‘supportive circles’ helping me with my own grief, loss and heartache of losing Jacob.
‘Good people are like candles; they burn themselves up, to give others light.’