Chin Up!

I am certainly not the saddest story ever told, not even close. My story is my own and I pray that no one will ever have to begin to imagine what someone goes through when they lose a child, or two or three . . . All I know is that in my small town in Minnesota, I knew of no place to go for help or support. I'm not saying there was none-my family and friends pulled me through my days and nights. Facebook was a blessing. I believe in God, but I'm not a church goer. So, where did that leave me?I'm sure I went through the normal grief process. The only feelings I have to compare this to was when my children (and I) lost their best friend when she was 16 years old. Living then with my daughter's grief it was hard for me to completely understand it and why she wasn't getting over it. Every year that anniversary came around was another level of grief and anger. Anger at why people had forgotten the date, why they didn't remember it just as she did.That's as close as I came to losing a child until July 3, 2015. That was the day my son died in a tractor accident at Rush River. My children lost a brother, I lost a son, and we all lost a big piece of our hearts that will never be replaced.Yes, these poems have helped me through hard days and nights. These poems have reminded me of his handsome face, his beautiful smile and his boisterous laughter. They have brought him back to me in ways no one can imagine. I write this for myself, I write this for his sister and brother, and I write this for his boys, hoping someday the poems will once again bring their dad closer to them again. I also created this book to help others going through what I've gone through to know they are not alone; that no matter what they are feeling it is normal, it's OK. We can make it through another day and be happy again. I hope that those of you that read my words can soon see the beauty of life again, because when my son passed, it took time, but I finally realized that he'd left me with the ability to see nature's colors as more vibrant, our loves more abundant, and the stars and moon are there to talk me through it all.