I was working full time as a cashier and stocker at a liquor store. It was the first time in four years that I had held a job for more than a few months. I was getting ready to quit my second attempt at college after having accumulated a shameful amount of debt. And, having just turned 25, I was now father to a second kid, Magdalene Thérèse. As is often the case with males
We have some exciting news to share! In 2015, the bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix, AZ, Bishop Thomas Olmstead, wrote a letter to the men of his diocese called Into the Breach. The phrase “into the breach” comes from the Bible, specifically, from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel: “And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I
What is grief? How does it impact the person? What can you do to help a friend who is grieving? In order to help someone who is grieving, we must first attempt to understand what it means to walk in their shoes. One of my goals with this blog is to show you, with words, what grief is like. Leave behind the “I could never imagine” and begin to imagine with me for just one
As I type the title to this latest blog post it shocks me to my core and I dissolve into tears. In a million years I never would have thought that I would be advising other grieving families on their child’s gravesite. It is something I had never stopped to imagine or consider and I know that most people don’t. It’s just not a normal thing to think about. As I have walked this path
We will always remember our little ones and we will never stop reminding the world about them. They matter.
Break the silence of grief. Say your baby's name. If they don't have a name leave a comment telling us something you want us to know about them.
Regina. My littlest love. I never got to know you but I carry you in my heart forever.
#waveoflight #infantlossawarenessmonth #infantlossawareness #miscarriagesurvivor #miscarriageawareness #stillbirthawareness #stillbirth #SaintsInHeaven #Infantloss #infantlosssupport #griefjourney
Many of you know that I am in the process of publishing my journal. It is the first year of my grief. It is raw. It is real. My first journal entry after losing my daughter was 16 days after she died.
Journal Entry - 5/22/2018 at 6:26 pm
You are Holy. You are Worthy. I praise Your name. When I stumble in the darkness You are there to rescue me. How I love You. When blessings shower down I will glorify You. When my heart is broken into pieces yet will I praise You. I lift my hands in honor of Your great Name. I don’t feel strong enough for this journey. I am so weak. So broken. My heart will never be the same again. I have no idea how I am supposed to get through life without my Mags. She is such a big part of my day. I know that if I live until I’m an old woman…(ended here due to an interruption likely from one of the children)
#mygriefjourney #mygrief #mygriefstory
#childlosssurvivor #childloss #death #deathofachild #JoyfulLikeMaggie #worshipandpraise #jesuslives #griefjournaling #journaling #griefcommunity #journalingcommunity #brokenheart💔 #bereavedparents #bereavedmother #lossmom #siblinglossawareness #catholicsofinstagram #catholicfaith #mycatholicfaith #mycatholiclife #lordineedyou #communionofsaints #saintsinheaven #greatcloudofwitnesses
"Learning to be a man by myself meant that there was never a year of Magdalene’s life where I was the best father. She was born the daughter of a man who grew into fatherhood only through much trial and error." #MagdaleneThérèse #JoyfulLikeMaggie #griefjourney #childloss
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Maggie, ever-forgiving – Joyful Like Maggie
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I was working full time as a cashier and stocker at a liquor store. It was the first time in four years that I had held a job for more than a few months. I was getting ready to quit my second attempt at college after having accumulated a shameful amount of debt. And, having just turned 25, I was now...I was listening to Fr. Mike Schmitz the other day and something he said really resounded with me. "Nothing given to God is ever wasted." What a beautiful relief. I can give God my sorrow, agony, joy, and even child and these will never be wasted. There is a reason for everything we go through. We may not fully comprehend the reason but we can be assured that none of our sufferings are in vain.
My prayer today is that you and I both have the grace and strength to remind ourselves that today is part of our story and it will be used to help those around us.
#nevergiveup #childloss #MaggiePrayForUs #JoyfulLikeMaggie #joyinthemorning #Catholic
What is it like? Many hovering on the edge of death have come back to life and spoken only of how difficult it was to come back and how much they wanted to cross over. It is reported that St. Catherine of Siena turned her face to the wall and wept for days and none could comfort her. This leaves us wondering, and trying to understand, what this pattern of hello-goodbye-hello(thank you Joyce Rupp for this beautiful description of life and death) looks like. What is the experience like? What will be seen? What will be felt? So many questions as we each face the reality of this hello-goodbye-hello pattern for both ourselves and our children. We can imagine the glory, and beauty, and joy. But until we experience it for ourselves we cannot truly say what this experience will feel like.
For now, I stand on the edge looking into the beyond and I wonder and I strive to make myself ready for the day that I experience this pattern for myself.
#JoyfulLikeMaggie #ReflectTheLight #teamdonutdogs #MaggiePrayForUs #IllSeeYouInTheEucharist #ForeverMyDaughter #griefjourney #childloss #death #hopeforthefuture #joyinthemorning #mourning #grief #childdeath #childloss #miscarriagesurvivor #griefjourney #griefandloss #heaven #heavenisforreal #heavenismyhome
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