A Bereaved Parent’s Wish List
By: Emily Hughes-Angel Mom to Jack.
Revised edition
  1.) We wish you could understand, that even though we may have other children, or we may be expecting another one soon, it does not mean our hearts are not aching for the child who is not here. If one parent dies, and one remains, you aren’t expected not to miss the absent parent….
2.) We wish you could understand that we are not out to ruin your day or to inconvenience you at all. Sometimes, seeing everyone elses joy, especially children’s joy, reminds us of what we are missing so much and it simply hurts…
3.) We wish that you would help us to include our child in festivities and laughter. Simple things, like sending us a card, including our child’s name means a million times more than any store-bought gift.
4.) We wish you would not take it personally, when we do not decorate or participate in parties.  It takes a lot of energy, just to endure the commercials, music and other reminders that sometimes -we just need a break.
5.) We wish that you would allow us space to grieve and to experience the natural emotions that come from having a loved one gone , we would do the same for you, if god forbid, you lost a loved one.
6.) We wish you would not take it personally, when we do not comment about your child’s photo . While we are happy for you and your child, we know in our hearts that our babies will never another picture
7.) We wish that you go on to have your happy day, and that it is everything you love and want it to be. And that you can appreciate that for us, it just won’t be happy.
8.) But most of all, we wish that you will never have to endure this kind of pain, longing and heart-ache. We wish that no one ever had to know what this feels like.