An excerpt from Beyond Pregnancy Loss: From Heartbreak to Healing
There are no guarantees in life and each day we acknowledge the possibility of tragedy touching our lives. Those of us who have experienced the loss of a loved one understand how suddenly someone precious can be taken from us. Even with this knowledge (and no matter how painful each loss is) there are some losses that we accept more easily than others. This is outlined beautifully in the following Buddhist parable.
A man comes to the Buddha and asks for a definition of happiness. The Buddha replies, “Grandfather dies, father dies, son dies.” “That sounds like terrible unhappiness”, the man replies. “No” the Buddha says, “This is the natural course of things, and that is the most happiness we can expect. Think of the sorrow if the son dies before the father and the father before the grandfather.”[1]
The loss of a child is an unbearable thought to every parent, regardless of the circumstances behind the death. Parents never expect to outlive their children regardless of the Childs age. This, as the parable indicates, brings unquestionable and relentless sorrow.
Many parents experience this relentless sorrow when facing the loss of a baby during pregnancy. Pregnancy loss occurs more often than we care to recognise. One in five pregnancies result in a loss and the grief is often swept under the carpet.
Do you know anyone who has experienced this type of loss? Tell me about it….
Talk to you soon
Helen
