The death of a grown child is unthinkable and yet it is a fact that so many must come to grips with. How can one cope with the pain of outliving a child when at the root of the overwhelming pain lies the conviction that you, not your child, should have died first? Consoling sections in this CareNote include: Expect slow, very slow, healing; Find support wherever you can; Claim your heritage, namely: “Keep in mind,” reminds the author, “that your son or daughter has left a heritage for you, everything his or her life meant.

By Carol Luebering