Christmas hope - our safe haven thread for bereaved parents.

[shabbapinkfrog]

Hope....for the bereaved parent; even at Christmas, one of the most painful times of the year, there is an essence of hope. Hope....it is hope that sustains us through the days of grief and anger and frustration and loneliness.

The hope that someday the pain of the deaths of our children will be eased. The hope that someday our smiles will be real.

So, it is that for each of you I would hope....peace, compassion, love, sympathy, understanding, sharing and listening. In the sharing of our grief with one another, and in the emotional support we give to one another, we receive and understand all of these gifts.

Remembering my precious sons....and all of your precious children at this difficult time of year.

Thinking about Mrs D today, and her beautiful daughter, 20 years old today xxxxxx

Oh blizy I'm sure your uncle would understand. It's just too hard. How did your aunt take it? Enjoy your day with your nephew, don't feel guilty and I hope you sleep better tonight xx

steph thank you lovely, you're mum did a lovely job, sorry for your friends were so insensitive, and that you've had to go through this at such a young age xx

blizy Sorry you didn't sleep last night, I didn't either (DD1 decided to stay awake all night). Looking afte your nephew is a very important job though, and I'm sure you'll get lots of cuddles, and smiles. My brother didn't attend Tamsin's funeral, as he looked after DD1, and although I'd have liked him there, it was perhaps the most important job, as it allowed us to say goodbye to her, without worrying about DD1 being left with someone else, and not being happy xx

Mias* you are robust, you are amazing and do so well keeping Mia's memory & spirit alive, of course that will be tiring at times, and of course there will be wobbles... (((hugs))) xx

shabba I'm so glad that Matty finally got his boomerang xx

chip that verse was so fitting xx

Oh no! In tears here. Some NICU babies have died in The Royal Hospital in Belfast! Pseudomonas infection. Those poor, poor parents!

oh no chip I just read the article on BBC news... so so sad :(

Been up a lot during the night with DD1... chicken pox are really bad and extremely itchy... poor little thing, got some antihistamine at pharmacy hopefully that will help.

7 months today, since we said goodbye to our precious Sterre... it seems such a long time and only yesterday at the same time :(

chip just shows how precarious and bloody cruel, and downright unfair life is, as we well know. So sad, so cruel, so....

blue poor DD1. Chickenpox is nasty, DS didn't get it till he was 15, and was then really ill... so in a way I hope that DD1 gets in younger. Thinking of you and Sterre xx

Everlong Cheese posted on fb yesterday that she was in the hospital but labour ward very busy. She has had her steroids and iron transfusions. She only has patchy 3G signal on her phone I think. Not sure on Dee.

Dee went to hospital at the start of the week and there is a little bit of fluid around baby now. It seems, I think, they are just keeping their eye on her at the moment. x

Hello everyone x

A candle is lit here in Sussex for the wonderful Billie x

Hiya TW - have missed you.

Have lit mine here in honour of Billie as well....Happy Birthday precious girl xxx

And me you Shabs x

I am a bit rubbish at keeping up with everyone , hows you ?

Not too bad love - not too bad xxxx

Sorry had to go and referee small children making an airfix model

Glad to hear it Shabs , are you out dancing on the tables tonight ?

No not tonight love.....My best friend is having ex partner/childs dad problems and is the kind of person who has to get things sorted Im sulking at home LOL xx

I am more the "have a drink and talk shite and ignore it" type

Have a vodka with me instead .

Thats my bessie friends most amazing quality - she is 100 per cent totally honest and will not let anything rest - I love her to bits.

Dont particularly like vodka - BUT, Oh what the hell - go on then xx

Erm , I may have run out of vodka now Too slow mrs .

I have scotch or port ?

And I will of course make it a large one , and I have found a tube of revels that were meant for christmas and forgotten about , yum yum , healthy dinner for me

Of course you can , I haven't seen it everlong , you don't need to defend Oliver to anyone xx

Now port or scotch ? I may have some scary looking Ouzo somewhere .

Perfect , a cheeky cig will go down very well .

I have failed in my stopping the evil weed .