Link – Grieving the Loss of a Child
Losing a child during pregnancy is a pain that many people
have to suffer, and is often misunderstood.
The following link is a beautiful, heartfelt reflection by Christine
Ostendorf on this experience. Her
thoughts encourage us to consider the term, “miscarriage,” as if the mother had
somehow carried her baby wrongly. As
Ostendorf quotes Kimberly Hahn: “If the goal of Christian parenting is getting
your children to heaven, then we have already succeeded with this
child.”
“I had not miscarried my baby,” says Ostendorf, “I carried
her with love and strength to the place we all aim for, heaven.”
Also in the article’s comments is the pastoral wisdom of a
priest, who says, "A baby is a baby no
matter how small. Some are born so that we may care for them, and some go
straight to heaven to intercede for us;" as well as a link to the Shrine of the Holy Innocents,
where parents can enroll their children whom they’ve lost.
