When my daughter died I almost immediately began to journal. I found quickly that it helped to center my thoughts and emotions. In a world that had just exploded around me my writing was the only way I could effectively allow my grief space to just be. It was the one place where I was fully vulnerable, fully open, and fully expressing myself.

Closer to the end of the first year friends began to reach out and ask me if I would publish my Facebook posts. I remember saying, “For what? You can just read them!” But friends continued to persist and ask me to publish my written words. One morning I woke up and a dear friend had sent me a file entitled Grief Through Grace and simply said, “Hey. I wanted to give you this.” When I opened it I found that she had taken every single Facebook entry and photo over the past year and put them into one document for me. That was how much she believed I should do this. I immediately began to cry as my own words leapt off the page at me.  As I prayed and pondered on this I began to think that perhaps my words could be used to show others they are not alone on whatever life journey they are on. So, I decided to take a huge risk. I’m publishing my grief journey using the entries from my personal journal and any relevant Facebook posts. I don’t see this journal simply being for grieving people. This is for anyone who is suffering.

More specifically, this is for Catholics who are suffering simply because it is written from a Catholic Christian perspective. For those non Catholics who have supported and loved me along the way I am going to include a special section that explains some of the words/phrases that Catholics use that may be confusing or hard to understand. I’m so grateful that you have been on this journey with me! 

-Maggie’s Mom