NPR—Now We Are Alone: Living On Without Our Sons

Posted by Kendall Harmon

My wife, Jan, and I did not celebrate a damn thing this summer. We didn't take a family vacation or meet up with old friends or invite neighbors to our backyard for a picnic. Instead, we got in the car one morning and drove to the annual national conference of The Compassionate Friends, a support organization for parents who have lost a child.

Or, in our case, children. All of our children....

I caught this one by happenstance yesterday on the way home from the Post Office. Emotionally overpowering, so get prepared before you try to take it in. Read or listen to it all (almost 8 1/3 minutes)--KSH.

Filed under: * Christian Life / Church Life • Parish Ministry • Death / Burial / Funerals • * Culture-Watch • Children • Marriage & Family • Psychology • * Theology • Pastoral Theology

3 Comments
Posted September 4, 2010 at 10:25 am [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. Dallasite wrote:

I can’t imagine a more jarring or difficult life change.  My heart goes out to these folks.  I listened to two books on tapes several years ago that dealt, in very different ways, with the aftermath of parents losing children .. “The Accidental Tourist” by Anne Tyler, and “Widow for One Year” by John Irving.

September 4, 5:42 pm | [comment link]
2. Bookworm(Pray for Snarkster) wrote:

God bless the organizers/angels of Compassionate Friends; it’s an organization that does so much good. 

Prayers for the repose of the dead and the survivors who will truly never heal from such an experience.  None of us are built to bury our children.  God keep them all in His hands…

September 6, 2:46 am | [comment link]
3. Terry Tee wrote:

I am late in catching up with this because I have been away taking a wedding in France.  Question:  Does anybody know of a similar organisation the in the UK, ie like Compassionate Friends?

September 6, 5:27 pm | [comment link]
Registered members must log in to comment.



Next entry (above): Presiding Bishop, House of Dep. President, Executive Council member call for Anglican Covenant study

Previous entry (below): Syria’s Solidarity With Islamists Ends at Home

Return to blog homepage

Return to Mobile view (headlines)