Ongoing Bereavement

You never get over the loss of a child but you do learn different ways to cope.  Ongoing bereavement is still a normal part of the grieving process.  Some parents have either not fully dealt with their feelings of grief from the onset or delayed their grief due to complicated issues surrounding the death of their child.

Whether you lost your child a year ago, ten years ago or more, you are welcome at any time to attend the Fairfax Chapter of Compassionate Friends.  Parents whose children died many years ago often show up at meetings to resolve latent grief feelings or just to get support while going through another rough time.

Some have told us they wish they would have attended meetings from the beginning but could not bring themselves to do so at that time.  Others have said they attended for awhile but a few years later they needed the support again.  Siblings often delay their grief and many siblings have said that it took years before they could fully explore their feelings of grief over the loss of a brother or sister.

Signs of ongoing bereavement:

• Feelings of intensity that take you by surprise even years later
• Thoughts that take you back to the time your child died
• Sudden bouts of sadness or depression
• Changes in your life that trigger emotions about the loss of your child

Topics and discussions at the monthly Chapter meetings help not only those who are new in their grief but also those who are further down the road.  Time does heal however we reach out to you wherever you are in your grief to offer hope and understanding.